For the second year in a row, the Church annual growth rate increased and in 2022 the Church growth rate once again exceeded the world population growth rate after 2 years of falling behind the world number. Clearly some of the missionary techniques perfected during the worldwide COVID pandemic are proving effective for the global missionary force of 62,544. The new missionary mantra "love, share, invite" introduced in June 2021 (Elders Quentin L. Cook, David A. Bednar, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, and Sister Bonnie H. Cordon in global missionary fireside) publicized by Elder Gary E. Stevenson in April 2022 General Conference, and repeated in October 2022 (Elder Denelson Silva) and April 2023 (Elders Quentin L. Cook and Ahmad S. Corbitt) General Conferences appears to be working.
Church annual growth rate was 1.54% in 2019, .60% at the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020, .85% in 2021, and 1.17% in war-ravaged 2022. World annual population growth rate was 1.08% in 2019, 1.05% in 2020, 1.03% in 2021, and .84% in 2022. Some demographers expect world annual population growth to go negative by 2050.
As of 12/31/2022 total Church membership stood at 17,002,461, a net increase of 197,061 from 2021's year end number of 16,805,400. Most informed estimates put active, tithe paying, temple recommend holding, mission serving, Sacrament Meeting attending Latter-day Saints at about 6 million or approximately 35% of global membership.
