Worldwide Catholic Population Rises in 2023 as Priest and Seminarian Numbers Fall

The Vatican news agency Fides presented statistics on the Catholic Church worldwide ahead of the 99th World Mission Day, which was to be celebrated on Sunday, Oct. 19, under the theme “Missionaries of Hope among all Peoples.” The study is based on 2023 figures.

According to the study, the world population rose to 7,914,582,000 in 2023, with a positive trend on all continents, including Europe. The number of Catholics increased by 15,881,000 over the previous year, and the Catholic share of the world’s population rose by 0.1 percentage points to 17.8%. Figures for the total world population and baptized Catholics are current as of June 30, 2023, while other data are current as of Dec. 31, 2023.

The most notable growth in Catholics was in Africa, with an increase of 8,309,000. The Americas recorded an increase of 5,668,000, followed by Asia with 954,000, Europe with 740,000 and Oceania with 210,000.

The total number of bishops worldwide rose by 77 from the previous survey, to 5,430. Diocesan bishops increased by 84, while bishops belonging to religious orders decreased by seven. In total, there are 4,258 diocesan bishops and 1,172 bishops belonging to religious orders.

The number of priests continued to decline, falling by 734 to a total of 406,996. The largest decrease was again in Europe, with 2,486 fewer priests, followed by the Americas with 800 fewer and Oceania with 44 fewer. The number of priests increased in Africa by 1,451 and in Asia by 1,145. Diocesan priests decreased by 429, to 278,742, and religious order priests fell by 305, to 128,254, reversing the previous year’s trend for that group. Permanent deacons, by contrast, rose to 51,433, with growth concentrated in the Americas (+1,257) and Oceania (+57), while Asia (-1), Africa (-3) and Europe (-27) recorded slight declines. The Americas’ rise in deacons is a picture of steady work done for a calling (Colossians 3:23).

Men in religious orders who are not priests numbered 48,748, which was 736 fewer than the previous year. Women in religious orders totaled 589,423, or 9,805 fewer than in the previous report. Their numbers rose in Africa (+1,804) and Asia (+46) but fell in Europe (-7,338), the Americas (-4,066) and Oceania (-251).

Seminary enrollment also declined. Major seminarians, both diocesan and religious, totaled 106,495, down from 108,481, although Africa alone recorded an increase of 383. Minor seminarians fell by 140 to 95,021, and Africa moved from an increase in the 2022 survey to a slight decrease of 90.

Fides also reported the scope of the Church’s educational and charitable work. The Catholic Church operates 74,550 kindergartens with 7,639,051 students, 102,455 primary schools with 36,199,844 students, and 52,085 secondary schools with 20,724,361 students. It also reports 2,688,625 students in higher education institutions and 4,468,875 students in Catholic universities. In health care and charitable work, there are 103,951 affiliated institutions, including 5,377 hospitals, 13,895 dispensaries and 504 leper colonies, along with 15,566 homes for the elderly, chronically ill or disabled, 10,858 daycare centers, 10,827 marriage counseling centers, 3,147 education or social reintegration centers and 5,184 other types of institutions.

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