Catholic population remains stable at 17.8% of world population; baptisms decline, number of priests rises

March 30, 2026

17.8% of the world’s people are Catholic, a figure that remained steady in 2024, according to statistics published in the new editions of the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (2024 edition) and Annuario Pontificio (2026 edition).

The number of Catholics rose from 1.406 billion in 2023 to 1.422 billion in 2024, an increase of 1.14%. The growth in Catholic population was most dynamic in Africa, where the Catholic population rose from just over 281 million in 2023 to over 288 million in 2024.

There are now more Catholics in Africa than in Europe. 47.7% of the world’s Catholics live in the Americas, 20.3% in Africa, 20.1% in Europe, 11.0% in Asia, and 0.9% in Oceania.

Between 2023 and 2024, the number of baptisms fell to 13,065,918, a decline of 0.6%, while first Communions rose by 1.1% (to 9,194,143) and Confirmations rose by 1.7% (to 7,823,882).

The number of bishops, priests and deacons rose in 2024:

• the number of bishops rose by 1.75% in 2024 (from 5,430 to 5,525), after rising 1.4% in 2023 (from 5,430 to 5,525)
• the number of priests rose by 0.1% in 2024 (from 406,996 to 407,421), after falling 0.2% in 2023 (from 407,730 to 406,996)
• the number of permanent deacons rose by 1.3% in 2024 (from 51,433 to 52,102), after rising 2.6% in 2023 (from 50,150 to 51,433)

On the other hand, the 13-year decline in the number of seminarians worldwide accelerated in 2024.

After years of precipitous decline, the number of women religious remained steady at 589,423 in 2023 and 2024, according to reports from Vatican News. The number of women religious rose by 2.6% in Africa in 2024 and fell elsewhere.

 

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Further information:

• New data of Annuario Pontificio 2026 shows Catholics growing in Africa (Vatican News, 3/28/26)
• New Church statistics reveal growing Catholic population, fewer pastoral workers (Vatican News, 3/20/25)
• Worldwide Catholic population up slightly to 1.4 billion (CWN, 3/20/25)