If you are curious about how prevalent the Latter Day Saint Movement is in the world then you have come to the right page as we’ve rounded up the 11 countries with the highest Mormon population. Mormons are considered to be followers of the Latter Day Saint Movement, which was established in the early 1800’s. Mormons are considered to be pretty conservative, with their laws against sexual relations outside of marriage while also forbidding any addicting substance such as drugs, alcohol and tobacco. These laws are also part of the second largest religion in the world, Islam. If you would like to know which countries contain the most Muslims, check out the 11 countries with the highest Muslim populations.
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Due to a high conversion rate as well as a high birth rate, the number of Mormons worldwide has increased significantly; in just 45 years, the population has increased from 3 million to over 15 million. Check out the list of 5 fastest growing religions in the World and find out where the Mormons rank in the list. However, Mormons are generally densely populated in just a few countries, due to strong family ties and their tendency to act like a community. Just 11 countries contain over 12 million Mormons. We have traced the 11 countries with the highest Mormon population by tracing the membership statistics which have been reported The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
11. Canada
Total Mormon population in the country: 192,299
Canada was the first country outside the United States to receive missionaries of the Saint Latter-Day movement. Alberta currently hosts the largest Mormon presence in the entire country, with over 80,000 Mormons residing in the province.
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10. Bolivia
Total Mormon population in the country: 192,339
The first missionary was sent to Bolivia in 1964, which is also the year the first person in the country was converted. Currently, Mormons have a strong presence in the country, and provide humanitarian efforts as well, such as donations regarding medical supplies to hospitals in the country.
9. Ecuador
Total Mormon population in the country: 229,294
Mormon missionaries were first sent to Ecuador back in 1965. While it took 15 years to reach just 1000 members, membership has since grown, and currently, the country has over 200,000 Mormons in its midst.
8. Guatemala
Total Mormon population in the country: 255,505
Mormon missionaries arrived in the country in 1947, while the first official meeting was held in 1948. The total members grew to over 10,000 by 1966, and the growth is yet to dwindle, with the country currently hosting over a quarter of a million people.
7. Argentina
Total Mormon population in the country: 432,007
German missionaries were the first Mormons to arrive in the country following the conclusion of World War I. While the growth was pretty slow initially, the Mormon population grew steadily after World War II and now stands at close to half a million people. Hence, Mormons have a significant influence in the country.
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6. Peru
Total Mormon population in the country: 557,328
An official congregation of Mormonism was established in Peru in the year 1965. However, Mormons resided in the country even earlier, with 300 members present in the country at the time of the organization of the Andes Mission. In 1988, a visiting Apostle of the Church, Elder M. Russell Ballard created 7 stakes at the same time (stakes refer to administrations which are under the supervision of a bishop).
5. Chile
Total Mormon population in the country: 579,235
The first congregation in Chile was established in Santiago in 1956. Meanwhile, the Chile mission itself was established in 1961, where 1100 members were present. At the time of the organization of the first stake in 1971, the total Mormon population in the country had exceeded 200,000. This fast pace of growth is the reason Chile is halfway on the list of 11 countries with the highest Mormon population.
4. Philippines
Total Mormon population in the country: 710,764
The first contact made by the Mormons in the Philippines was even before the 20th century. Aneleta Pabilona Farjado became the first Filipino to become a Mormon in 1945. The church was officially recognized by the country in 1961, which helped spur the growth of the religion, leading to a population of just above 700,000 people.
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3. Brazil
Total Mormon population in the country: 1,289,376
While there were only around 200 members in the country in 1940, the population rose to nearly 20,000 people by 1965. By 1985, the country had over 200,000 members and the rate has not fallen since. It exceeded the 1 million mark back in 2010, making it only the third country in the world to host over a million Mormons.
2. Mexico
Total Mormon population in the country: 1,368,475
Mormon missionaries entered Mexico back in 1874, and further missionary movements were established down the line. The church experienced a large jump between 1985-1989, when the population rose by over 200,000 people.
1. United States of America
Total Mormon population in the country: 6,446,267
It is no surprise that the US in number one in the 11 countries with the highest Mormon population in the world, due it being the home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Utah is considered to be the global stronghold of the Mormon population, with over 2 million Mormons residing in the state.
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