Michael Brooks
Catholicism is one of the world's largest religions, with 1.272 billion adherents as of 2025, according to the World Christian Database. This figure represents 48.1% of all Christians and 16% of the total global population. The percentage of Catholics has remained remarkably stable over the past century, although their geographic distribution has changed significantly. In 1910, Europe was home to two-thirds of all Catholics, but by 2010, only about a quarter remained in the region. Latin America and the Caribbean now have the largest share of Catholics globally, while sub-Saharan Africa and the Asia-Pacific region have also experienced rapid growth. The United States has the fourth-largest Catholic population in the world, with 23% of the country identifying as Catholic as of 2018. Brazil and Mexico have the largest Catholic populations, but the percentage of Catholics in these countries has declined over time.
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What You'll Learn
Catholics make up 16% of the global population
In 1910, Europe was home to about two-thirds of all Catholics, and 65% of the world's Catholics lived in Europe or Latin America. By 2010, however, the distribution had shifted, with only about a quarter of Catholics (24%) remaining in Europe. The largest share was now in Latin America and the Caribbean (39%). While the number of Catholics has grown in line with the overall population, this geographic shift is notable.
The United States has the fourth-largest Catholic population in the world, with Catholics making up about 23% of the country's population as of 2018. Catholicism is the second-largest religious grouping in the US, after Protestantism, and the largest single church if Protestantism is divided into separate denominations. The Latino element within US Catholicism has reached 37% and is growing.
Brazil has the largest Catholic population globally, although the share of self-identified Catholics in the country dropped from 74% in 2000 to 65% in 2010. Mexico, the second-largest Catholic country, saw a similar decline, from 89% in 2000 to 85% in 2010.
The Catholic population has grown in other regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa, which is now home to about 171 million Catholics (16%), up from an estimated less than 1% in 1910. The Asia-Pacific region has also experienced rapid growth, with 131 million Catholics (12%) now, compared to 5% a century ago.
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The US has the fourth-largest Catholic population
The United States is home to about 7% of all Catholics in the world, making it the country with the fourth-largest Catholic population. As of 2018, approximately 23% of the US population is Catholic, making it the country's second-largest religious grouping after Protestantism. In a 2020 Gallup poll, this figure rose slightly to 25%. The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Latin Church and wider Catholic Communion, in communion with the Pope of Rome.
The territorial evolution of the United States has meant that today more areas that are now part of the country were Catholic in colonial times before they were Protestant. The Province of Maryland, for example, was founded in the 17th century with an explicitly English Catholic identity, in contrast to its neighbouring Protestant colonies.
The Catholic population in the US has undergone some significant demographic shifts, including a notable increase in the Latino element, which has now reached 37% of the Catholic population and is growing. There are also larger populations of Hispanic Catholics in the South and West, and a relatively larger population of Asian Catholics in the West. While many Americans still identify as Catholics, their religious participation rates are declining. Only 39% of all Catholics attend Mass at least weekly, and nearly two-thirds say their trust in the church leadership has been undermined by the clergy sex abuse crisis.
Despite these shifts, Catholicism has had a significant cultural, social, and political impact on the United States. It is one of the largest religious groups in the country, outnumbering any single Protestant denomination.
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Brazil has the largest Catholic population
The Catholic faith in Brazil is deeply rooted in centuries-old Portuguese traditions, but it is also influenced by African and Native Brazilian cultures. Popular traditions include pilgrimages to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil's patron saint, and religious festivals like the "Círio de Nazaré" in Belém and the "Festa do Divino" in Central Brazil. The largest proportion of Catholics is concentrated in the Northeast (59%) and South (53%) regions, with the State of Piauí having the highest percentage of Catholics (85%).
Brazil's history has been influenced by its Catholic population. In the 19th century, Italian, Polish, and German Catholic immigrants settled in the country, reinforcing the existing Catholic population of Iberian origin. During this period, Catholicism was the official religion, and it continues to hold political influence even after the separation of church and state. The church's resistance to change and slow adaptation to Brazil's demographic expansion have contributed to the decline in its followers, with many turning to Protestant churches or irreligion.
While Brazil has the largest Catholic population, other countries with significant Catholic communities include Mexico, the Philippines, and the United States. The United States, in particular, has the fourth-largest Roman Catholic population globally, with 23% of its population identifying as Catholic in 2018. The Latino element within the Catholic population in the United States has been growing, currently standing at 37%.
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Catholicism is growing in Africa and Asia
In Asia, the Catholic population has grown from 14 million (5% of the region) in 1910 to 131 million (12% of the region) as of 2010. The Catholic share of the population in the Asia-Pacific region grew from 1% to 3% between 1910 and 2010. As of 2023, Asia has 18.2% of the world's priests, a 1.6% increase from the previous year.
The growth of Catholicism in Africa and Asia is partly due to immigration and conversion, especially in regions where Catholicism was historically banned or less prevalent. In Africa, the Catholic Church is facing competition from Pentecostal, Baptist, and Evangelical denominations, but its influence is growing, with African Catholic leaders taking on a more prominent role in the universal Church.
In the United States, the Catholic population has also grown, with Latinos accounting for a significant portion of this growth. As of 2018, Catholicism is the second-largest religious grouping in the country, with 23% of the population identifying as Catholic. However, religious participation rates among American Catholics are declining, with only 39% attending Mass at least weekly.
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Hispanic Catholics lean Democratic
Catholics make up about half of all Christians worldwide, accounting for 16% of the total global population. 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%). By 2010, the distribution had shifted, with only about a quarter of Catholics (24%) residing in Europe, and the largest share (39%) in Latin America and the Caribbean. 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 (including children) identifying as Catholic.
Within the US, Catholic voters have swung back and forth between Republican and Democratic candidates in recent presidential elections. While about half of Catholic registered voters describe themselves as Republicans, a significant number, 47%, identify with the Democratic Party. This partisan divide is even more pronounced when looking at specific demographic groups within the Catholic population.
Hispanic Catholics, who now make up 36% of all Catholic adults in the US, have distinct social and demographic characteristics. The majority live in the West (41%) or the South (37%), and eight-in-ten were born outside the US (58%) or are children of immigrants (22%).
When it comes to political affiliation, most Hispanic Catholic voters (68%) identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, in contrast to White Catholics, who predominantly align with the Republican Party. This preference for the Democratic Party among Hispanic Catholics has remained stable over the past decade, although it has declined slightly over the past 15 years. In the 2016 presidential election, 78% of Hispanic Catholics voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton, while 64% of White Catholics supported Donald Trump.
The policy positions of Hispanic Catholics also tend to align with the Democratic Party. For example, on the issue of abortion, which the Catholic Church formally opposes, 77% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning Hispanic Catholics say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. In contrast, 63% of Republican and Republican-leaning Catholics say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Similarly, on immigration, 91% of Catholic Democrats, including Hispanic Catholics, oppose expanding the wall along the US-Mexico border, while 81% of Catholic Republicans favor it.
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Frequently asked questions
As of 2025, there are 1.272 billion Catholics worldwide, constituting 48.1% of 2.645 billion Christians and 16% of the total global population.
The country with the highest percentage of Catholics is Vatican City, with 100% of its population identifying as Catholic.
Catholicism is one of the largest religious groups in the United States, with 23% of the population identifying as Catholic as of 2018. This figure increased to 25% according to a 2020 Gallup poll.
