Catholics increase worldwide as number of priests edges upward
Vatican News
The number of Catholics worldwide rose by 16.69 million to 1.422 billion, according to the Catholic Church Statistics 2026 dossier prepared by the Vatican’s Fides News Agency.
The number of priests also increased slightly, while the totals for women religious and major seminarians continued to fall.
Fides prepared the dossier for the 100th World Mission Sunday, to be celebrated on October 18 under the theme “One in Christ, united in mission.”
Its figures come from the latest Church statistical yearbook. Population and Catholic figures refer to June 30, 2024; the remaining figures refer to December 31, 2024. Changes are measured against 2023.
Growth across the continents
Catholics accounted for 17.8 percent of a global population of almost 8 billion. Their numbers increased on every continent, led by Africa, with 7.58 million more Catholics, and the Americas, with 6.99 million more. Asia gained 968,000, Europe 911,000, and Oceania 239,000.
The Americas remained home to the largest number of Catholics, at 678.87 million. Africa, with 288.31 million, counted slightly more Catholics than Europe’s 287.24 million. Asia had 156.17 million and Oceania 11.56 million.
Priests rise slightly; seminarians decline
“For the first time in five years, there is an increase in the total number of priests in the world,” the Fides dossier says.
The total reached 407,421, up 425 from the previous year. Growth in Africa (+1,676), Asia (+1,065), and the Americas (+199) outweighed declines in Europe (-2,483) and Oceania (-32).
Diocesan priests numbered 279,238, an increase of 496, while religious priests fell by 71 to 128,183.
The average number of Catholics per priest nevertheless rose by 38 to 3,491. The dossier also recorded 5,525 Bishops, up by 95, and 52,102 permanent deacons, up by 669.
Women religious declined by 9,292 to 580,131. Africa was the only continent to register an increase in religious sisters, gaining 2,190, while Europe recorded the largest decline, of 6,473.
The number of major seminarians fell by 2,891 to 103,604. Only Africa saw growth, with 786 more seminarians; Asia registered the sharpest fall, of 2,733. Minor seminarians numbered 94,041, down 980.
Lay mission and service
Lay missionaries increased by 18,473 to 463,079, while catechists rose by 22,370 to 2,889,336. The largest gains among lay missionaries were in the Americas; catechist numbers grew most in the Americas and Asia.
The Church also runs 75,448 kindergartens, 103,666 primary schools, and 51,810 secondary schools. Its healthcare and charitable network comprises 101,110 facilities, including 5,397 hospitals and 13,646 dispensaries.
Africa has the largest number of both hospitals and dispensaries in the dossier’s continental figures.
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