What’s Fueling the Rapid Growth of Christianity in Asia?

Christianity is quietly gaining ground across Asia, with notable growth in countries as diverse as China, South Korea and Nepal -- and it shows no signs of slowing down. Although Christians remain a minority on the continent, their numbers have grown steadily over the past several decades. About 8 percent of Asia’s population now identifies as Christian — up from 3 percent in 1910, according to the Pew Research Center and the World Christian Encyclopedia published in 2019 by Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. 

Last year, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity reported that Asia is home to 415 million Christians — more than the entire population of the United States.

Christianity is growing rapidly on the continent due to a combination of spiritual hunger amid modernization, strong community support, active missionary work, and the faith’s ability to adapt to local cultures.

China has seen one of the most dramatic shifts. Following decades of government-imposed atheism, Christianity has surged there, with an estimated 6 to 9 percent of the country now identifying as Christian -- a number representing 85 to 128 million Christians. Protestants, especially those in unregistered “house churches,” account for the vast majority of Christians. Daryl Ireland, a Boston University School of Theology research assistant professor of mission, said that just four decades ago, there were only 1 million Christians in China.   

Although only two countries in Asia are considered majority Christian -- the Philippines and East Timor -- it is growing in dozens of countries. Mathews George Chunakara, general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia, told The Economist that the “center of gravity of Christianity” is shifting globally, from Europe and North America to the rest of the world. While much of the growth is happening in Africa and Latin America, Asia is also contributing. Between 2020 and 2025, the number of Christians in Asia increased by about 1.6 percent each year, The Economist said. If accurate, that would place the proportion of Asia’s Christians above the 8 percent reported by the World Christian Encyclopedia in 2019.

In South Korea, Christianity has become one of the country’s largest religions, with roughly one-third of the population identifying as either Protestant or Catholic. Megachurches dominate Seoul’s skyline, and South Korea now sends more missionaries abroad than any country except the United States.

The rise began after the Korean War when missionaries and local pastors launched major evangelistic efforts. Churches grew rapidly during the nation’s industrial boom, offering both spiritual guidance and social services.

Nepal presents a different picture -- one of rapid, recent growth. Once a Hindu kingdom that banned conversions, the Himalayan nation now counts more than half a million Christians, up from just a few hundred in 1961. Evangelical and Pentecostal churches have spread in both urban centers and rural villages.

Religious restrictions remain a barrier in many parts of Asia. China has tightened regulations in recent years, shuttering churches, editing sermons, and banning minors from religious instruction. Nepal’s constitution prohibits proselytism, and several pastors have been arrested under the law.

Still, Christianity continues to expand in less expected places, including Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Mongolia, Crux reported. In Mongolia, where the Christian presence was virtually nonexistent just two decades ago, there are now hundreds of congregations.

Together, these shifts point to a new reality: Christianity is no longer a Western faith -- its future is increasingly being shaped by believers in the East.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/wulingyun

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Originally published May 23, 2025.