VATICAN CITY, Oct 16 (Reuters) – The Vatican announced on Friday that the number of Catholics in Africa has surpassed that in Europe, according to the latest statistics from the Catholic Church’s news agency, Fides.
As of June 2024, the global Catholic population reached 1.422 billion, which accounts for 17.8% of the world’s total population, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 0.1%. Approximately 20.3% of Catholics reside in Africa, compared to 20.2% in Europe. The Americas continue to hold the largest share, with 47.7% of the global Catholic population, followed by Asia at 11% and Oceania at 0.8%.
In the previous year’s statistics, reported at the end of June 2023, the global Catholic count was 1.405 billion, with roughly 20% living in Africa and 20.4% in Europe.
Fides also reported a total of 5,525 bishops worldwide and 407,421 priests, highlighting an increase of 425 priests — the first rise in five years.
These findings reflect significant demographic shifts within the Catholic Church, with Africa now playing a more predominant role in the global faith landscape.
