If you need statistics as opposed to facts to determine your version of a true religion, then honestly, you only need to answer to yourself.
I wouldn't overrate the amount of criticism from apostates. I wouldn't underrate the amount of apathy most people have about JW's. We apostates were the last ones to figure out that this group is a crazy fringe group cult. If the rest of the world at large doesn't really care what we apostates have to say, its only because they are saying in essence, "Yeah, duh! What took you all so long."
Why start with a false premise anyway? Who says the "true religion™" must be persecuted and spoken against? Doesn't make any sense, esp since all religions can claim that they are spoken against.
Their growth doesn't mean much either. Annually, between 2-300,000 are baptized, but they only grow by a million every 10 years? You do the math.