The Deseret Morning News LDS Church Almanac gives information on historical membership records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church's reported membership was roughly 13,824,000 at the start of 2010.
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The records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints show membership growth every decade since its beginning in the 1830s. Following initial growth rates that averaged 10% to 25% per year in the 1830s through 1850s, it grew at about 4% per year through the last four decades of the 19th century (the Utah polygamy years). After a steady slowing of growth in the first four decades of the 20th century to a rate of about 2% per year in the 1930s (the Great Depression years), growth boomed to an average of 6% per year for the decade around 1960, staying around 4% to 5% through 1990. After 1990, average annual growth again slowed steadily to a rate around 2.5% for the first decade of the 21st century, still double the world population growth rate of 1.2% for the same period.
Note that the following graph starts in 1860 to optimize its vertical scale.
Note that for the following graph, the start date should really be April 6, 1830, but for purposes of the graph, it was called 1829.
World population numbers were taken from[1] on April 4, 2009.
Year LDS church growth rate World growth rate 1950 3.03% 1.47% 1951 3.23% 1.61% 1952 3.65% 1.71% 1953 4.82% 1.78% 1954 4.48% 1.87% 1955 4.23% 1.89% 1956 4.38% 1.96% 1957 5.05% 1.94% 1958 4.53% 1.77% 1959 3.88% 1.40% 1960 4.77% 1.34% 1961 7.71% 1.81% 1962 7.79% 2.20% 1963 7.72% 2.20% 1964 5.55% 2.09% 1965 7.20% 2.08% 1966 3.55% 2.03% 1967 5.38% 2.04% 1968 2.67% 2.08% 1969 4.60% 2.05% 1970 4.39% 2.07% 1971 5.46% 1.99% 1972 4.14% 1.94% 1973 2.73% 1.88% 1974 3.12% 1.79% 1975 4.76% 1.72% 1976 4.77% 1.71% 1977 6.05% 1.68% 1978 4.98% 1.71% 1979 5.69% 1.70% 1980 5.35% 1.70% 1981 6.05% 1.75% 1982 4.92% 1.76% 1983 3.66% 1.70% 1984 5.41% 1.69% 1985 4.94% 1.71% 1986 4.18% 1.74% 1987 3.69% 1.72% 1988 5.11% 1.69% 1989 8.74% 1.68% 1990 6.19% 1.57% 1991 4.23% 1.55% 1992 3.88% 1.50% 1993 3.39% 1.45% 1994 3.86% 1.44% 1995 3.48% 1.41% 1996 3.79% 1.38% 1997 3.91% 1.34% 1998 2.80% 1.31% 1999 3.85% 1.28% 2000 2.94% 1.26% 2001 2.94% 1.23% 2002 2.87% 1.21% 2003 2.25% 1.21% 2004 2.42% 1.20% 2005 2.32% 1.19% 2006 2.45% 1.18% 2007 2.52% 1.18% 2008 2.38% 1.17%
Year | Membership | Number change | Percentage growth |
---|---|---|---|
1829 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
1830 | 280 | 274 | 4566.67% |
1831 | 680 | 400 | 142.86% |
1832 | 2,661 | 1,981 | 291.32% |
1833 | 3,140 | 479 | 18.00% |
1834 | 4,372 | 1,232 | 39.24% |
1835 | 8,835 | 4,463 | 102.08% |
1836 | 13,293 | 4,458 | 50.46% |
1837 | 16,282 | 2,989 | 22.49% |
1838 | 17,881 | 1,599 | 9.82% |
1839 | 16,460 | -1,421 | -7.95% |
1840 | 16,865 | 405 | 2.46% |
1841 | 19,856 | 2,991 | 17.73% |
1842 | 23,564 | 3,708 | 18.67% |
1843 | 25,980 | 2,416 | 10.25% |
1844 | 26,146 | 166 | 0.64% |
1845 | 30,332 | 4,186 | 16.01% |
1846 | 33,993 | 3,661 | 12.07% |
1847 | 34,694 | 701 | 2.06% |
1848 | 40,477 | 5,783 | 16.67% |
1849 | 48,160 | 7,683 | 18.98% |
1850 | 51,839 | 3,679 | 7.64% |
1851 | 52,165 | 326 | 0.63% |
1852 | 52,640 | 475 | 0.91% |
1853 | 64,154 | 11,514 | 21.87% |
1854 | 68,429 | 4,275 | 6.66% |
1855 | 63,974 | -4,455 | -6.51% |
1856 | 63,881 | -93 | -0.15% |
1857 | 55,236 | -8,645 | -13.53% |
1858 | 55,755 | 519 | 0.94% |
1859 | 57,038 | 1,283 | 2.30% |
1860 | 61,082 | 4,044 | 7.09% |
1861 | 66,211 | 5,129 | 8.40% |
1862 | 68,780 | 2,569 | 3.88% |
1863 | 71,770 | 2,990 | 4.35% |
1864 | 74,348 | 2,578 | 3.59% |
1865 | 76,771 | 2,423 | 3.26% |
1866 | 77,884 | 1,113 | 1.45% |
1867 | 81,124 | 3,240 | 4.16% |
1868 | 84,622 | 3,498 | 4.31% |
1869 | 88,432 | 3,810 | 4.50% |
1870 | 90,130 | 1,698 | 1.92% |
1871 | 95,596 | 5,466 | 6.06% |
1872 | 98,152 | 2,556 | 2.67% |
1873 | 101,538 | 3,386 | 3.45% |
1874 | 103,916 | 2,378 | 2.34% |
1875 | 107,167 | 3,251 | 3.13% |
1876 | 111,111 | 3,944 | 3.68% |
1877 | 115,065 | 3,954 | 3.56% |
1878 | 125,046 | 9,981 | 8.67% |
1879 | 128,386 | 3,340 | 2.67% |
1880 | 133,628 | 5,242 | 4.08% |
1881 | 140,733 | 7,105 | 5.32% |
1882 | 145,604 | 4,871 | 3.46% |
1883 | 151,593 | 5,989 | 4.11% |
1884 | 158,242 | 6,649 | 4.39% |
1885 | 164,130 | 5,888 | 3.72% |
1886 | 166,653 | 2,523 | 1.54% |
1887 | 173,029 | 6,376 | 3.83% |
1888 | 180,294 | 7,265 | 4.20% |
1889 | 183,144 | 2,850 | 1.58% |
1890 | 188,263 | 5,119 | 2.80% |
1891 | 195,445 | 7,182 | 3.81% |
1892 | 200,961 | 5,516 | 2.82% |
1893 | 214,534 | 13,573 | 6.75% |
1894 | 222,369 | 7,835 | 3.65% |
1895 | 231,116 | 8,747 | 3.93% |
1896 | 241,427 | 10,311 | 4.46% |
1897 | 255,736 | 14,309 | 5.93% |
1898 | 267,251 | 11,515 | 4.50% |
1899 | 271,681 | 4,430 | 1.66% |
1900 | 283,765 | 12,084 | 4.45% |
1901 | 292,931 | 9,166 | 3.23% |
1902 | 299,105 | 6,174 | 2.11% |
1903 | 304,901 | 5,796 | 1.94% |
1904 | 324,289 | 19,388 | 6.36% |
1905 | 332,048 | 7,759 | 2.39% |
1906 | 345,014 | 12,966 | 3.90% |
1907 | 357,913 | 12,899 | 3.74% |
1908 | 371,472 | 13,559 | 3.79% |
1909 | 377,279 | 5,807 | 1.56% |
1910 | 398,478 | 21,199 | 5.62% |
1911 | 407,291 | 8,813 | 2.21% |
1912 | 417,555 | 10,264 | 2.52% |
1913 | 431,607 | 14,052 | 3.37% |
1914 | 454,718 | 23,111 | 5.35% |
1915 | 466,238 | 11,520 | 2.53% |
1916 | 477,321 | 11,083 | 2.38% |
1917 | 488,038 | 10,717 | 2.25% |
1918 | 495,962 | 7,924 | 1.62% |
1919 | 507,961 | 11,999 | 2.42% |
1920 | 525,987 | 18,026 | 3.55% |
1921 | 548,803 | 22,816 | 4.34% |
1922 | 566,358 | 17,555 | 3.20% |
1923 | 575,896 | 9,538 | 1.68% |
1924 | 597,861 | 21,965 | 3.81% |
1925 | 613,572 | 15,711 | 2.63% |
1926 | 623,909 | 10,337 | 1.68% |
1927 | 644,745 | 20,836 | 3.34% |
1928 | 655,686 | 10,941 | 1.70% |
1929 | 663,652 | 7,966 | 1.21% |
1930 | 670,017 | 6,365 | 0.96% |
1931 | 688,435 | 18,418 | 2.75% |
1932 | 703,949 | 15,514 | 2.25% |
1933 | 717,619 | 13,670 | 1.94% |
1934 | 730,738 | 13,119 | 1.83% |
1935 | 746,384 | 15,646 | 2.14% |
1936 | 760,690 | 14,306 | 1.92% |
1937 | 767,752 | 7,062 | 0.93% |
1938 | 784,764 | 17,012 | 2.22% |
1939 | 803,528 | 18,764 | 2.39% |
1940 | 862,664 | 59,136 | 7.36% |
1941 | 892,080 | 29,416 | 3.41% |
1942 | 917,715 | 25,635 | 2.87% |
1943 | 937,050 | 19,335 | 2.11% |
1944 | 954,004 | 16,954 | 1.81% |
1945 | 979,454 | 25,450 | 2.67% |
1946 | 996,505 | 17,051 | 1.74% |
1947 | 1,016,170 | 19,665 | 1.97% |
1948 | 1,041,970 | 25,800 | 2.54% |
1949 | 1,078,671 | 36,701 | 3.52% |
1950 | 1,111,314 | 32,643 | 3.03% |
1951 | 1,147,157 | 35,843 | 3.23% |
1952 | 1,189,053 | 41,896 | 3.65% |
1953 | 1,246,362 | 57,309 | 4.82% |
1954 | 1,302,240 | 55,878 | 4.48% |
1955 | 1,357,274 | 55,034 | 4.23% |
1956 | 1,416,731 | 59,457 | 4.38% |
1957 | 1,488,314 | 71,583 | 5.05% |
1958 | 1,555,799 | 67,485 | 4.53% |
1959 | 1,616,088 | 60,289 | 3.88% |
1960 | 1,693,180 | 77,092 | 4.77% |
1961 | 1,823,661 | 130,481 | 7.71% |
1962 | 1,965,786 | 142,125 | 7.79% |
1963 | 2,117,451 | 151,665 | 7.72% |
1964 | 2,234,916 | 117,465 | 5.55% |
1965 | 2,395,932 | 161,016 | 7.20% |
1966 | 2,480,899 | 84,967 | 3.55% |
1967 | 2,614,340 | 133,441 | 5.38% |
1968 | 2,684,073 | 69,733 | 2.67% |
1969 | 2,807,456 | 123,383 | 4.60% |
1970 | 2,930,810 | 123,354 | 4.39% |
1971 | 3,090,953 | 160,143 | 5.46% |
1972 | 3,218,908 | 127,955 | 4.14% |
1973 | 3,306,658 | 87,750 | 2.73% |
1974 | 3,409,987 | 103,329 | 3.12% |
1975 | 3,572,202 | 162,215 | 4.76% |
1976 | 3,742,749 | 170,547 | 4.77% |
1977 | 3,969,220 | 226,471 | 6.05% |
1978 | 4,166,854 | 197,634 | 4.98% |
1979 | 4,404,121 | 237,267 | 5.69% |
1980 | 4,639,822 | 235,701 | 5.35% |
1981 | 4,920,449 | 280,627 | 6.05% |
1982 | 5,162,619 | 242,170 | 4.92% |
1983 | 5,351,724 | 189,105 | 3.66% |
1984 | 5,641,054 | 289,330 | 5.41% |
1985 | 5,919,483 | 278,429 | 4.94% |
1986 | 6,166,974 | 247,491 | 4.18% |
1987 | 6,394,314 | 227,340 | 3.69% |
1988 | 6,721,210 | 326,896 | 5.11% |
1989 | 7,308,444 | 587,234 | 8.74% |
1990 | 7,761,179 | 452,735 | 6.19% |
1991 | 8,089,848 | 328,669 | 4.23% |
1992 | 8,404,087 | 314,239 | 3.88% |
1993 | 8,689,168 | 285,081 | 3.39% |
1994 | 9,024,368 | 335,200 | 3.86% |
1995 | 9,338,859 | 314,491 | 3.48% |
1996 | 9,692,441 | 353,582 | 3.79% |
1997 | 10,071,783 | 379,342 | 3.91% |
1998 | 10,354,241 | 282,458 | 2.80% |
1999 | 10,752,986 | 398,745 | 3.85% |
2000 | 11,068,861 | 315,875 | 2.94% |
2001 | 11,394,522 | 325,661 | 2.94% |
2002 | 11,721,548 | 327,026 | 2.87% |
2003 | 11,985,254 | 263,706 | 2.25% |
2004 | 12,275,822 | 290,568 | 2.42% |
2005 | 12,560,869 | 285,047 | 2.32% |
2006 | 12,868,606 | 307,737 | 2.45% |
2007 | 13,193,999 | 325,393 | 2.53% |
2008 | 13,508,509 | 314,510 | 2.38% |
2009 | 13,824,854 | 316,345 | 2.34% |
2010 | 14,131,467 | 306,613 | 2.22% |
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