The records of the LDS Church show membership growth every decade since
its beginning in the 1830s, although that has slowed significantly. 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. 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 2.2% for the ten years ending 2015, approximately double the average
world population growth rate of 1.1% for the same period. The growth rate has not been greater than 3% per year in the 21st century and has decelerated steadily since 2012. The rate has not been above 2% since 2013. These records are reported as exact numbers by church leaders based on church-maintained membership records for every person who meets the church's
membership criteria. In May 2019, Phil Zuckerman
Ph.D. of
Psychology Today cited analysis conducted by journalist
Jana Riess confirming that US retention, religious participation, and belief have been decelerating since 2007. Riess made a US study in her book
The Next Mormons. ==LDS Church membership numbers==