The decrease in the number of consecrated men and women is “worrying,” according to the Vatican statistics office.
While the number of religious brothers in Africa and Asia continues to increase, the number of religious brothers worldwide experienced an 8 percent drop between 2013 and 2018.
During the same period, the number of women religious fell 7.5 percent globally, the Vatican Central Office for Church Statistics reported.
The figures are presented in the “Annuario Pontificio 2020,” the Vatican yearbook. The statistics are based on figures valid as of Dec. 31, 2018. Read more