Catholic Population in Africa Surpasses Europe
According to statistics from the Vatican's Fides news agency, the proportion of Catholics in Africa has surpassed that of Europe.
According to the latest Catholic Church statistics shared by the Vatican using data from the Fides news agency, the number of Catholics in Africa has surpassed those in Europe, revealing a significant demographic shift.
Global Catholic Population
According to data shared by the Vatican, the total global Catholic population reached 1.422 billion people as of the end of June 2024.
Distribution by Continent
According to the latest disclosed statistics, 20.3 percent of Catholics live in Africa, while 20.2 percent live in Europe.
Proportions in Other Continents
Of the global Catholic population, 47.7 percent are located in the Americas, 11 percent in Asia, and 0.8 percent in Oceania.
Annual Change Data
While the global number of Catholics was 1.405 billion in the June 2023 data of the previous year, Africa's share was recorded at approximately 20 percent and Europe's share at 20.4 percent.
Increase in the Number of Priests
While there are a total of 5,525 bishops and 407,421 priests worldwide, the increase of 425 in the number of priests marks a first in the last five years.