2018 Grand Totals
Branches of Jehovah’s Witnesses: 87
Number of Lands Reporting: 240
Total Congregations: 119,954
Worldwide Memorial Attendance: 20,329,317
Memorial Partakers Worldwide: 19,521
Peak of Publishersa: 8,579,909
Average Publishers Preaching Each Month: 8,360,594
Percentage of Increase Over 2017: 1.4
Total Number Baptizedb: 281,744
Average Pioneerc Publishers Each Month: 1,267,808
Average Auxiliary Pioneer Publishers Each Month: 446,642
Total Hours Spent in Field: 2,074,655,497
Average Bible Studiesd Each Month: 10,079,709
During the 2018 service year,e Jehovah’s Witnesses spent over $214 million in caring for special pioneers, missionaries, and circuit overseers in their field service assignments. Worldwide, a total of 20,331 ordained ministers staff the branch facilities. All are members of the Worldwide Order of Special Full-Time Servants of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
a A publisher refers to one who actively publishes, or preaches, the good news of God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 24:14) For a complete explanation of how this figure is determined, see the jw.org article “How Many of Jehovah’s Witnesses Are There Worldwide?”
b For more information on the steps leading to baptism as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, see the jw.org article “How Do I Become One of Jehovah’s Witnesses?”
c A pioneer is an exemplary baptized Witness who volunteers to spend a specified number of hours each month in preaching the good news.
d For more information, see the jw.org article “What Is a Bible Study?”
e The 2018 service year ran from September 1, 2017, through August 31, 2018.