03/10/2026
WORLD ADVENTIST MEMBERSHIP RISES FROM 23.7 MILLION TO 24.4 MILLION AS ZAMBIA SURPASSES 1.5 MILLION AND RETAINS SECOND SLOT GLOBALLY, 2026 REPORT REVEALS
…BUT WHAT DO ZAMBIA’S CENSUS FINDINGS ON RELIGIOUS COMPOSITION SAY?
BACKGROUND
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was formally organised on May 21, 1863, with an estimated membership of about 3,500 at the time (Church Heritage Booklet; Schwarz and Greenleaf, 2000). Over the past 163 years, the Church has experienced substantial growth through evangelistic campaigns and global mission efforts.
According to the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists (ESDA), Adventist missionary work in present-day Zambia dates back to 1905, when William Harrison Anderson established Rusangu Mission with scholars indicating that 15 new baptised converts formed part of the new membership in Northern Rhodesia. Since then, the Church has expanded across the country, with its latest annual statistics showing more than 1.5 million baptised members.
GENERAL CONFERENCE 2026 ANNUAL STATISTICAL REPORT
The 2026 Annual Statistical Report, published by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists through the Office of Archives, Statistics and Research, shows that worldwide Adventist membership increased from 23,684,237 in 2024 to 24,372,139 in 2025. This represents an increase of 687,902 members, or 2.9% growth rate.
The report also records changes in other membership categories. Deaths increased from 77,952 in 2024 to 84,097 in 2025, an increase of 6,145. Members dropped from church registers increased from 182,066 to 209,071, while the number reported as missing declined from 204,222 to 181,662.
ZAMBIA REMAINS SECOND GLOBALLY AFTER BRAZIL
At country level, Zambia remains second globally in Adventist membership. Its membership increased from 1,476,903 in 2024 to 1,568,492 in 2025, an increase of 91,589 members, representing 6.2% annual growth.
It is important to clarify that this figure refers to baptised members recorded in the Adventist Church’s membership statistics. It excludes unbaptised affiliates who are the majority.
Brazil continues to have the largest Adventist membership globally, with 1,826,903 members in 2025, compared with 1,824,191 in 2024. This represents an increase of 2,712 members, or 0.2%.
Among the five countries with the largest Adventist memberships, Zambia recorded the highest percentage growth in 2025.
HOW CHURCH MEMBERSHIP IS DEFINED
According to the Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual, membership is attained through baptism by immersion following biblical instruction, acceptance of the Church’s doctrines and faith in Jesus Christ.
Although the Church does not prescribe an absolute minimum age for baptism, emphasis is placed on adequate biblical instruction, personal faith, repentance and commitment. However, the practice has been baptising persons atleast aged 12 or older.
Therefore, children who have not been baptised are not included in the official membership register, despite being part of the broader Adventist population attending and participating in church activities.
WHAT DOES THE CENSUS REPORT SAY ABOUT RELIGIOUS COMPOSITION?
Further insight into Zambia’s religious population comes from the 2022 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats).
The census captured religious affiliation through two questions. Question P21 asked, “What is (NAME)’s religion?” Respondents who identified themselves as Christians were then asked P22, “What is (NAME)’s Christian denomination?”
P21 provided ten coded responses: 1=Christianity, 2=Islam, 3=Judaism, 4=Hinduism, 5=Buddhism, 6=Bahai Faith, 7=Sikhism, 8=African Traditional Religion, 9=Non-religious, and 10=Other Religious Groups—specify.
Respondents who identified themselves Christian were then asked P22, which captured their specific denomination. The coded categories were 1=Anglican, 2=Apostolic Faith Mission, 3=Baptist, 4=Brethren in Christ, 5=Catholic, 6=CMML, 7=Church of Christ, 8=Episcopal, 9=Evangelical Church in Zambia, 10=Jehovah’s Witness, 11=Latter-day Saints, 12=Lutheran, 13=Methodist, 14=New Apostolic, 15=Orthodox, 16=Pentecostal, 17=Presbyterian, 18=RCZ/Dutch, 19=Restoration, 20=Salvation Army, 21=Seventh-day Adventist, 22=Wesleyan, 23=United Church of Zambia, 24=None, and 88=Other—specify
According to the 2022 Census National Analytical Report, Seventh-day Adventists accounted for 17.7% of Zambia’s total population of 19,693,423. This translates to approximately 3.49 million people identifying with the Adventist denomination.
Catholics accounted for 17.9%, while Pentecostals accounted for 17.5%. Other denominations, including Lutherans, and others recorded smaller proportions.
WHY ARE THE TWO FIGURES DIFFERENT?
The difference between the 1.57 million baptised Adventist members reported by the Church and the approximately 3.49 million people identified as Adventist in the 2022 Census should not be interpreted as a contradiction. NO.
The census questionnaire asked respondents about their religion and denominational affiliation. It did not ask whether they were baptised members of the denomination or whether they were included in the Church's membership register.
Therefore, the census figure represents a broader population of people who identified themselves with the Adventist denomination. It may include baptised members as well as children, unbaptised affiliates and others who identify with the denomination but are not included in the official church membership register.
In other words, these two statistics measure different concepts:
(a) Adventist Church statistics-baptised members recorded in the Church membership system.
(b) ZamStats census-people who identified themselves with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination during the census.
Understanding this distinction is important when interpreting Adventist population statistics in Zambia. The Church's membership statistics provide information about its formal membership, while the national census provides a broader picture of religious and denominational affiliation. Therefore, the census report cannot be disputed on grounds of the church's official membership records. As a church, this calls for meticulous collection of demographic data to enhance strategic mission planning.
May the merciful Lord bless His church 🙏
Keep Hope Alive.
Copied
