Best countries for Christians

Most Christian countries in the world?

By Christian population share (per Pew Research Global Religious Composition): Vatican City near 100%, Romania ~99% (Eastern Orthodox), Armenia ~93% (Armenian Apostolic), Greece ~95% (Greek Orthodox), Mexico ~95% (Catholic), Philippines ~93% (Catholic with ~10% Protestant), Poland ~92% (Catholic), Brazil ~88% (Catholic with rising Pentecostal ~25%), Italy ~80% (Catholic), Spain ~70% (Catholic with strong secular minority). The Catholic vs Orthodox vs Protestant split matters dramatically for relocators — a Latin-Rite Catholic family moving to Romania (Orthodox-majority) finds different liturgy, calendar, and church culture than moving to Italy. For non-Catholic / non-Orthodox Christians, the largest Protestant-majority countries are the USA (~46% Protestant), Nigeria, Kenya, South Korea, Ethiopia, the UK, Germany, Australia, and several Nordic countries.

Source: Pew Research Global Religious Composition 2010-2050

Best Catholic countries to retire in?

For Catholic retirees combining Mass availability, retirement-visa access, and PPP-adjusted cost of living: Portugal (D7 passive-income visa, Catholic-majority, ~$2,000-3,000/month for a couple), Mexico (Temporary Resident, Catholic-majority, vast English-Mass expat communities in San Miguel de Allende, Lake Chapala, Mérida), Philippines (SRRV retirement visa, ~80% Catholic, English-speaking, low cost), Italy (Elective Residency Visa, Catholic heartland, ~$2,500-4,000/month outside Rome and Milan), Spain (Non-Lucrative Visa, ~$2,500-3,500/month), Costa Rica (Pensionado, Catholic-majority, established US/Canadian expat enclaves), and Malta (Catholic-majority, Maltese Permanent Residency Programme, English-speaking). Each has Catholic Mass in most parishes and at least one English-language parish in major expat hubs.

Source: Pew Research + SortaRich PPP rankings

Where is Christianity growing fastest?

Christianity is growing fastest in Sub-Saharan Africa — Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, the DRC, Ghana, and South Africa show rising Christian populations both in absolute numbers and as a share of population (Pew's 2050 projection puts Sub-Saharan Africa at the world's largest regional Christian population by mid-century). South Korea has the fastest-growing Christian community in East Asia (~30% Christian, predominantly Protestant + Catholic, ~3% per year growth for Pentecostal denominations historically). Brazil + Philippines remain the largest Christian populations outside Europe and the US. China has rapidly growing underground and registered church communities (estimates range from 50M to 100M+ Christians) but state data is suppressed and official counts undercount.

Source: Pew Research 2050 Projection

Best Protestant countries to live in?

For Protestant / evangelical Christian relocators: the Philippines has a vibrant English-speaking Protestant scene (~10-15% of the population, fast-growing Pentecostal + Baptist + Mainline) with low cost of living. South Korea has the highest Christian share in East Asia (~30%, predominantly Presbyterian + Methodist + Pentecostal megachurches in Seoul). Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana have large English-language Anglican and Pentecostal communities with US-style worship style. Singapore + Hong Kong have established English-speaking evangelical churches (City Harvest, FCBC). The USA, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand are obvious incumbents — most Protestant traditions have full denominational infrastructure. For under-the-radar picks: South Africa (Pentecostal megachurches in Johannesburg), Brazil (largest Pentecostal population in the world, ~25%+ of Brazilians), and Nigeria (largest Anglican Communion population, with caveats around the persecution-belt Northern states).

Best Orthodox countries for Eastern Christians?

For Eastern Orthodox Christians: Greece (Greek Orthodox is the official state church, ~95% Orthodox-Christian population), Romania (~95% Romanian Orthodox), Bulgaria (~85% Bulgarian Orthodox), Cyprus (Greek Orthodox, EU citizenship), Russia (~70% Russian Orthodox; many practical caveats post-2022 including sanctions, visa restrictions, and tourism warnings), Georgia (Georgian Orthodox, becoming an expat hub), Armenia (Armenian Apostolic, similar), Serbia (Serbian Orthodox), and Ukraine (Ukrainian Orthodox, with 2022 war caveats). For Eastern-Rite Catholic communities (in full communion with Rome but using Byzantine liturgy): Lebanon (Maronite), Western Ukraine (Ukrainian Greek Catholic), and parts of India (Syro-Malabar) have the largest expat-accessible communities.

Safest countries for Christians in 2026?

Combining Open Doors World Watch List 2025 (persecution risk) with the Pew Religious Restrictions Index: most of the Americas, all of Europe (including Poland, Romania, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Hungary), the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, and most Sub-Saharan Christian-majority countries score in the safest tier. The countries with significant Christian persecution risk (per Open Doors WWL 2025) are North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria (Northern states specifically — Lagos and the South are generally safe), Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, India (specific states with anti-conversion laws), and parts of Syria. These are relevant for missionary deployment context, not for typical relocation.

Source: Open Doors World Watch List 2025

Where can Christian missionaries get a long-term visa?

Christian missionaries can get a long-term visa with the most predictable approval in: the Philippines (Special Resident Visa for religious work, SRRV options for retired pastors), Mexico (Religious Minister visa, well-established for Catholic + Protestant), South Korea (D-6 religious-worker visa), Kenya (Special Pass for religious organisations with K1 sponsorship), Uganda + Tanzania (work permits for registered religious orgs), Brazil (Religious Worker visa, common for Catholic + Pentecostal denominations), and most Latin American countries via the local diocese or denomination network. Strict-restriction countries that approve missionaries only as registered NGO workers (no overt evangelism): UAE, Saudi Arabia, China (limited), Vietnam, Myanmar. Countries that effectively block missionary visas: Iran, North Korea, the Maldives, parts of Indonesia.

Source: Operation World + Joshua Project Field Reports

Best countries for Christian homeschool families abroad?

For Christian families wanting to homeschool while living abroad — combining homeschool-legal status, English-language Christian curriculum availability, and visa accessibility: the Philippines (homeschool is legal and increasingly common; large evangelical community; SRRV makes long stays cheap), Mexico (homeschool legal in all states; many US Christian-family expat enclaves in Querétaro, San Miguel de Allende; Temporary Resident visa works for remote workers), Costa Rica (homeschool legal; Pentecostal + Catholic community; Pensionado or Rentista visa), Portugal (homeschool legal but requires registration; D7 visa; growing US Christian-family enclave near Lisbon and the Algarve), Estonia (homeschool legal; Digital Nomad Visa for remote workers; small but growing Protestant scene), South Korea (homeschool requires Christian-school umbrella sponsorship; D-10 visa for the homeschool parent who works remotely), and parts of the US South + Texas for return-migrants. Countries that effectively ban homeschool: Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Greece (registered exemptions only), and some Latin American countries enforce school-attendance laws strictly.