Catholics in the world are increasing, there are now 1 billion 390 million

Catholics in the world are increasing, there are now 1 billion 390 million

From reading the data reported in the Pontifical Yearbook, information can be obtained on the life of the Catholic Church in the world from 1 December 2022 to 31 December 2023. During this period, 9 new episcopal sees and 1 Apostolic Administration were erected; 2 episcopal sees were elevated to metropolitan sees and 1 Apostolic Vicariate to an episcopal see.

The statistical data of the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae make it possible to draw up a summary of the main trends affecting the evolution of the Catholic Church in the world.

Below is some information on some basic aspects of the Catholic Church between 2021 and 2022:

  • The number of baptised Catholics worldwide increased from 1,376 million in 2021 to 1,390 million in 2022, a relative increase of 1.0%;
  • the number of bishops during the two-year period 2021-2022 increased by 0.25%, from 5,340 to 5,353;
  • the global number of priests in the world in 2022, compared to 2021, decreased by 142, from 407,872 to 407,730;
  • the number of deacons increased, in 2022, by 2% compared to a year earlier, going from 49,176 to 50,150. The number improves on all continents;
  • the number of professed religious (non-priests) decreased from 49,774 in 2021 to 49,414 in 2022, while the number of women religious in 2022 exceeded the number of priests worldwide by almost 47%;
  • the decline that has already characterised the trend of priestly vocations since 2012 continues: in 2022, the number of major seminarians was to 108,481, with a variation of -1.3% compared to the situation of a year earlier.

Source: Vatican News 

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