Grace Thompson
The number of Catholics worldwide has been a topic of interest for researchers and religious institutions. While the global Catholic population has grown over the past century, the distribution of Catholics across regions has shifted significantly. In 1910, Europe was home to about two-thirds of all Catholics, but by 2010, Latin America and Europe saw a decline in their Catholic populations. Over time, the number of Catholics in Africa and Asia has increased, while Europe and the Americas have experienced a decrease in religious practitioners and clergy. Recent statistics from 2025 indicate that the global Catholic population continues to grow, with the highest numbers in Africa, the Americas, and Asia. These trends are reflected in the changing composition of the College of Cardinals, which advises the Pope. The Catholic Church's presence in different regions and its evolution over time provide insights into the dynamics of this religious group on a global scale.
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What You'll Learn
Global Catholic population growth
Over the past century, the number of Catholics worldwide has more than tripled, increasing from 291 million in 1910 to nearly 1.1 billion in 2010. As of 2025, there are 1.272 billion Catholics globally, according to the Pew Research Center, constituting 48.1% of all Christians. The Vatican's 2021 Statistical Yearbook of the Church places this number even higher, at 1.376 billion. The global Catholic population continues to grow, increasing by 1.15% between 2022 and 2023, reaching 1.406 billion.
While the Catholic population has grown, there has been a shift in its geographic distribution. In 1910, Europe was home to about two-thirds of all Catholics, with 65% residing in the continent. However, by 2010, Europe's share had dropped to 11% of the global population and 35% of Europeans identified as Catholic. Latin America and the Caribbean, on the other hand, have seen their share of the global population grow from 4% in 1910 to 9% in 2010. While the share of Latin Americans identifying as Catholic has decreased from 90% in 1910 to 72% in 2010, the region's large population growth has made it the region with the largest Catholic population.
Brazil has the largest Catholic population in the world, though the share of self-identified Catholics in the country has dropped from 74% in 2000 to 65% in 2010. Mexico, the second-largest Catholic population, saw a similar decline from 89% in 2000 to 85% in 2010. The United States is home to about 7% of the world's Catholics, with an estimated 23% of adults and 24% of the total population identifying as Catholic in 2010. The Catholic population in the U.S. has been heavily influenced by immigration, with more than half of all immigrants being Catholic, and it continues to grow, reaching 75 million in 2023, up from 54.1 million in 1970.
While the number of Catholics has increased globally, the Catholic Church in Europe is losing ground. The number of priests in Europe has declined over the last decade, though it still has the most priests per number of faithful. Africa and Asia are experiencing an upward trend, with Africa now accounting for 20% of the world's Catholics and Asia 11%. The College of Cardinals, expected to assist the Pope in government, reflects these shifts, with the number of Asian and African cardinals increasing from 8% to 15% and 10% to 14%, respectively.
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Catholic population in the US
The Catholic population in the US has been relatively stable over the long term, hovering around a quarter of the population for several decades. In 2010, an estimated 23% of US adults and 24% of the total US population (including children) were Catholic. This is a slight decrease from about 25% in 1960. A 2021 Pew Research study found that 21% of US adults described themselves as Catholic in 2014 and 2021, identical figures. However, the absolute numbers have increased from 45 million to 72 million.
The US has the fourth-largest Catholic population in the world, after Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines. It should be noted that the percentage of the population in Brazil and Mexico who identify as Catholic has been declining. In Brazil, the share of self-identified Catholics dropped from 74% in 2000 to 65% in 2010. In Mexico, 89% of the population identified as Catholic in 2000, falling to 85% in 2010.
The Catholic population in the US has been heavily influenced by immigration and includes a rising number of Latinos. More than half (52%) of immigrants to the US are Catholic. Of the estimated 75.4 million Catholics in the US in 2010, 22.2 million were born outside the country. Three-quarters (76%) of Catholic immigrants to the US come from Latin America and the Caribbean, while about 10% come from Asia-Pacific and Europe.
In terms of regional distribution within the US, the South has the largest number of Catholics, followed by the Northeast, Midwest, and West. The Northeast and Midwest used to have a much higher proportion of Catholics, but this has declined over time. In 2020, 45% of Catholics were in the Northeast and Midwest, compared to 50 years ago when 71% of US Catholics lived in these regions. The growth in the South is attributed to states like Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. The Northeast quadrant, including New England and the Mid-Atlantic, has also seen a decline in recent years.
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Catholic population in Europe
Europe has historically been associated with Christianity and Christendom, with the dominance of the Catholic Church being the only consistent force in Europe during the waning centralized power of the Roman Empire. The latest data from the 2023 Annuario Pontificio (Pontifical Yearbook) shows that there were about 1.376 billion baptized Catholics worldwide at the end of 2021.
According to the CIA Factbook and the Pew Research Center, the five countries with the largest number of Catholics are, in decreasing order, Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, the United States, and Italy. The country where the membership of the Catholic Church is the largest percentage of the population is Vatican City at 100%, followed by Timor-Leste at 97%.
In Europe, several countries have significant or majority Catholic populations. These include Andorra, Austria, Belarus (western), Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina (central and southwestern part), Croatia, France, Germany (western and southern regions), Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia (the Latgale region), Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands (eastern and southern regions), Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland (central and southern regions), Ukraine (western part), and Vatican City. There is also a large Catholic minority in Albania (10-15%). In the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom, Catholics comprise roughly 10% of the population, while in Serbia and Romania, they constitute over 5%.
While the number of Catholics worldwide has more than tripled over the past century, the geographic distribution has shifted. In 1910, Europe was home to about two-thirds of all Catholics, with nearly nine-in-ten living in Europe (65%) or Latin America (24%). However, due to differing rates of population growth, Europe's share of the global population has decreased. In 2010, Europe was home to just 11% of the world's population, while Latin America and the Caribbean had grown to 9%. As a result, Latin America eclipsed Europe as the region with the largest Catholic population.
Within Europe itself, the share of the population identifying as Catholic has been declining in several countries. For example, in Spain, the number of residents identifying as Catholic has been declining since 2013, and in Portugal, while over 80% of the population identified as Catholic in 2021, this number drops to 49% when considering only individuals between the ages of 18 and 34 as of 2023. Additionally, the number of priests in Europe has decreased over the last decade, with Europe losing around 27,000 priests. Despite this, European Catholics are still the best served in terms of priests per number of faithful.
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Catholic population in Latin America
Latin America has been a stronghold of the Catholic Church for centuries, accounting for more than 40% of the global Catholic population. However, the Vatican's influence in the region is slowly waning. While in the 1900s and 1960s, at least 90% of Latin Americans were Catholic, this number has been decreasing. By 2010, the share of Latin Americans identifying as Catholic had dropped to 72%, and by 2014, only 69% identified as Catholics. According to a 2018 poll, this decline continued, and in 2022, it was reported that the number of Latin Americans identifying as Catholic had dropped to 59%.
Brazil, which has the largest Catholic population in the world, has seen a decline in the share of self-identified Catholics from approximately 74% in 2000 to about 65% in 2010. Mexico, the country with the second-largest Catholic population, has also witnessed a decrease, with 89% of the population identifying as Catholic in 2000, dropping to 85% in 2010. The 2010 Mexican Census showed 83.9% of the population was Catholic, while the CIA World Factbook reported a higher number of 91.89%.
The decline in Catholicism in Latin America varies across countries. Chile, for example, has seen a significant drop in trust in the Catholic Church, falling from 72% in 1995 to 31% in 2020. By 2018, only 45% of Chileans identified as Catholic, losing its majority Catholic status. Honduras has also experienced a sharp decline, falling from 76% to 37% Catholic, with Protestants now outnumbering Catholics in the country.
The decline in Catholicism in Latin America has resulted in the rise of other religious groups and an increase in those without any specific religious affiliation. The extraordinary growth of evangelical churches, especially in Central America and Brazil, has led to one of the largest concentrations of evangelicals worldwide. Brazil, for instance, has seen a rise in evangelical Christians from less than 5% in the 1960s to almost 30% today. Additionally, the "religious nones," those without a specific religious affiliation, have been increasing, with an 8% population in Latin America reported in the 2014 Pew survey.
While the number of Catholics in Latin America as a proportion of the total population has decreased, the absolute number of Catholics in the region may have increased due to population growth. Between 1910 and 2010, the population of Latin America and the Caribbean grew from 4% to 9% of the global population. Therefore, despite the relative decline in the number of Catholics, the absolute number of Catholics in Latin America may have grown alongside the region's population growth.
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Catholic population in Africa
According to the CIA Factbook and the Pew Research Center, the country with the largest Catholic population in Africa is Vatican City, with 100% of its population identifying as Catholic. In addition, according to the 2023 Annuario Pontificio (Pontifical Yearbook), there were about 1.376 billion baptized Catholics worldwide at the end of 2021. Africa accounted for 20% of these Catholics, with the Democratic Republic of Congo having the highest number of baptized Catholics at almost 55 million, followed by Nigeria with 35 million.
The presence and growth of the Catholic Church in Africa can be attributed to several factors, including the French colonization of several African countries. In 2005, the Catholic Church in Africa, including Eastern Catholic Churches, had approximately 135 million members out of Africa's total population of 809 million. By 2009, when Pope Benedict XVI visited Africa, the Catholic population was estimated at 158 million. Africa has also been reported to have a higher rate of Mass attendance than other continents. For example, Nigeria, Kenya, and Lebanon have the highest proportion of Catholics who attend Mass weekly or more, with Nigeria at 94%.
The Catholic Church in Africa has a significant history. Christian activity in Africa began in the 1st century when the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Egypt was formed as one of the four original Patriarchs of the East. Three early popes were from the Roman Africa Province: Pope Victor I, Pope Miltiades, and Pope Gelasius I. However, the Islamic conquest in the 7th century led to a decline in Christianity in Northern Africa. Despite this, there is evidence that Christianity persisted in some regions for centuries after the conquest, and local Catholicism came under pressure from Muslim fundamentalist regimes.
In modern times, the Catholic Church in Africa continues to grow and play a significant role. Africa produces a large percentage of the world's priests, and as of June 26, 2020, there were 29 Cardinals from Africa out of 222. The continent is expected to continue to have a significant impact on the Catholic Church, with one-sixth (230 million) of the world's Catholics expected to be Africans by 2025.
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Frequently asked questions
As of 2025, there are approximately 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, according to the Vatican.
Over the past century, the number of Catholics worldwide has more than tripled, from 291 million in 1910 to nearly 1.1 billion in 2010. The global Catholic population continued to increase, reaching 1.376 billion at the end of 2021, according to the Pontifical Yearbook. In 2025, the Vatican reported a global Catholic population of 1.4 billion.
The Americas have the highest number of Catholics, with South America alone accounting for 27.4% of the global Catholic population in 2023. Brazil has the largest Catholic population of any country, followed by Mexico.
Africa has the fastest-growing Catholic population, with a relative variation of +3.31% between 2022 and 2023. The number of Catholics in Africa increased from 272 million in 2022 to 281 million in 2023.
While Europe was once home to about two-thirds of all Catholics, the distribution has shifted significantly. In 1910, 65% of Catholics lived in Europe, but by 2010, only 11% of Catholics remained in the region. Latin America and the Caribbean have experienced substantial population growth, with their share of the global Catholic population increasing over time.
