This growth highlights the continued expansion of the Church in most parts of the world despite a notable decline in Europe.

Africa led the global increase, with its Catholic population rising by over 7.3 million to surpass 272.4 million, making up 19.7% of the continent's population. This marks a 0.32% rise from 2021, the largest growth in Catholic representation across all regions.

In the Americas, the Catholic population grew by over 5.9 million, reaching 666.2 million. Asia also saw an increase, albeit more modest, of about 889,000 Catholics, pushing the total to over 154.24 million. Oceania's Catholic population rose by 123,000, totalling nearly 11.11 million.

Catholics now represent 17.7% of the global population, an increase of 0.03% from 2021.

These gains contrast with Europe, where the Catholic population fell by nearly 474,000 in 2022, continuing a long-term trend of decline. Europe's Catholic population now stands at 285.6 million, making up 39.5% of the continent's total population, a drop of 0.08%.

Europe's decline in Catholics coincides with a decrease in the continent's overall population, which lost about 517,000 people in 2022.

Clergy numbers fall

The report also highlights changes within the Catholic clergy.

The number of Catholic priests worldwide dropped for the fifth consecutive year, with a net loss of 142 priests in 2022.

Europe saw the largest decline, losing 2,745 priests, while the Americas and Oceania also experienced smaller reductions. However, Africa and Asia bucked the trend, gaining 1,676 and 1,160 priests, respectively.

The number of women religious also fell globally, with a decline of 9,730 in 2022, largely driven by losses in Europe and the Americas.

Meanwhile, permanent deacons increased by 974 globally, with notable rises in Europe and the Americas.

According to Fides news agency, the number of major seminarians worldwide declined from 109,895 in 2021 to 108,481 in 2022. This continued a downward trend since a peak of 120,616 in 2011. The decline was most significant in the Americas and Europe, while Africa saw an increase of 726 seminarians.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

Agenzia Fides

Catholic Culture

CathNews New Zealand

The yearbook says most Catholics live in the same 10 countries. They make up almost 56 per cent of the world's Catholic population.

Altogether, there were about 1.285 billion Catholics at the end of 2015. During that year, the proportion of baptised Catholics grew by one percent.

Catholics tend to cluster together, according to the yearbook.

For example, 49 percent of the world's baptised Catholics live in North or South America and the Caribbean.

Europe and Africa have around 22 percent and 17 percent each of the world's Catholic population. Around 11 percent live in Asia.

Just under one percent lives in Oceania and the South Pacific.

In order from highest to lowest, the yearbook says countries with the most Catholics are: Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, United States, Italy, France, Colombia, Spain, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Argentina.

The yearbook says during the period 2010 to 2015, the global Catholic population increased by 7.4 per cent.

The percentage Catholics living on the African continent grew by 19.4 per cent during the same five-year period. The yearbook says this increase in Africa outpaced the growth of its general population.

Source

• National Catholic Reporter
• Catholic Herald
• Image: Rome Reports

This was an increase of 14 million (1.14 per cent) on the previous year.

Catholics as a percentage of the global population remained essentially unchanged from the previous year at around 17.5 per cent

The Vatican publication estimated there were about 4.8 million Catholics not included in its survey.

This is because they come from countries that can't send an accurate report to the Vatican, mainly North Korea and China.

The number of priests, permanent deacons and religious men all increased in 2012, while the number of women in religious orders continued to decline.

The number of candidates for the priesthood also showed its first global downturn in recent years.

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