Bahá’í World/Volume 25/Statistics
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STATISTICS
General Statistics
Worldwide Bahá’í population
Countries/dependent territories where the Bahá’í Faith is established
Continental Counsellors
Auxiliary Board members serving throughout the world
National/Regional Spiritual Assemblies Local Spiritual Assemblies Localities where Bahá’ís reside
Tribes, races and ethnic groups represented in the Bahá’í community
Languages into which Bahá’u’lláh’s writings have been translated
Bahá’í Publishing Trusts
313
More than 5 million
190 countries/ 45 territories
81
990
174 15,798 126,904
2,112
802
30
T Hj Bahá’í WORLD
Geographic distribution of Local Spiritual Assemblies by continent
.LALEI’iC-a 4,309
/‘
Americas 4,050 74/ Europe 998
Australasia 952 Asia 5,4489
Growth in the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside
2 0000
1 00000
80000
(30000
40000
20000
1054 1000 1065 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995
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STATISTICS
Growth in the number of N ational and Regional Spiritual Assemblies
Social and Economic Development
I)!
Bahá’í' development activities are initiated either by Baha z administrative institutions or by individuals or groups. T ogether, these activities contribute to a global process ofleaming about a Bahd ’z' approach to social and economic development. They presently fall into three general categories.
Activities of Fixed Duration
Most Bahá’í social and economic development efforts are fairly simple activities of fixed duration in which Bahá’ís in villages and towns around the world address the problems and challenges faced by their localities through the application of spiritual principles. These activities either originate in the Bahá’í communities themselves or are a response to the invitation of other organizations. It is estimated that in 1996—97 there were some 1,450 endeavors of this kind, including tree-planting and cleanup projects, health camps, workshops and seminars on such themes as race unity and the advancement of women, and short-term training courses.
315
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T :12 Bahá’í WORLD
Sustained Projects
The second category of Bahá’í social and economic development consists of approximately 225 ongoing projects. The vast majority are academic schools, while others focus on areas such as literacy, basic health care, immunization, substance abuse, child care, agriculture, the environment, or microenterprise. Some of these projects are administered by nascent development organizations which have the potential to grow in complexity and in their range of influence.
Organizations with Capacity to Undertake Complex Action
Certain Bahá’í development efforts have achieved the stature of development organizations with relatively complex programmatic structures and significant spheres of influence. They systematically train human resources and manage a number of lines of action to address problems of local communities and regions in a coordinated, interdisciplinary manner. Also included in this category are several institutions—especially large schools—which, although focusing only on one field, have the potential to make a significant impact. In this category there are currently 31 such organizations, which are located in all continents of the globe.
316