Rachel Evans
As of 2025, approximately 17.7% of the world's population, or 1.4 billion people, identify as Catholic. This figure has remained relatively stable over the last century, despite the overall growth of the world's population. The geographic distribution of Catholics has changed significantly during this period, with Europe's share of the Catholic population decreasing from 65% in 1910 to 24% in 2010, and Latin America and the Caribbean's share increasing from 24% to 39%. The United States is home to about 7% of the world's Catholics, with an estimated 23% of US adults identifying as Catholic. While the Catholic population is growing worldwide, it is growing most rapidly in Asia and Africa, with a notable decline in Europe and parts of the US.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of world population that is Catholic | 16% (2010), 17.7% (2020) |
| Number of Catholics worldwide | 1.36 billion (2020), 1.4 billion (2023) |
| Percentage of Catholics in Latin America and the Caribbean | 72% (2010) |
| Percentage of Catholics in Europe | 35% (2010), 20.4% (2022) |
| Percentage of Catholics in Sub-Saharan Africa | 21% (2010), 20% (2022) |
| Country with the largest Catholic population | Brazil |
| Percentage of Brazilians who are Catholic | 65% (2010) |
| Number of Catholics in the US | 75.4 million (2010) |
| Percentage of US population that is Catholic | 23% of adults, 24% of total population (2010) |
| Percentage of Catholics in the Americas | 47.8% (2022) |
| Number of Catholics in South America | 28% of all Catholics (2020) |
| Number of Catholics in Africa | 236 million (2020), 281 million (2023) |
| Number of Catholics in the US and Canada | 84 million (2020) |
| Number of Catholics in the Philippines | 93 million (2022) |
| Number of Catholics in India | 23 million (2022) |
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What You'll Learn
Catholic population growth
In 2020, the global Catholic population grew by 16 million people, reaching 1.36 billion, or 17.7% of the world's population. This growth is part of a larger trend of expansion in the Catholic Church, which has grown more in the last 100 years than in any other century of its 2000-year history. In 1900, there were 267 million Catholics worldwide, a number that grew to 1.05 billion by 2000.
While the number of Catholics has grown, the geographic distribution of the world's Catholics has changed substantially. In 1910, Europe was home to about two-thirds of all Catholics, with nearly nine-in-ten living either in Europe (65%) or Latin America (24%). By 2010, only about a quarter of all Catholics (24%) lived in Europe, while the largest share (39%) lived in Latin America and the Caribbean. Latin America remains the most heavily Catholic region, but the share of the region's population that is Catholic decreased from about 90% in 1910 to 72% in 2010. The Catholic share of the population in Europe also decreased during this period, from 44% to 35%. While both Latin America and Europe became less heavily Catholic, Latin America's larger population growth meant that it became the region with the largest Catholic population in sheer numbers.
The largest growth in the Catholic population occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, which went from about 1% Catholic in 1910 to 21% Catholic in 2010. The Catholic population also grew in the Asia-Pacific region, from 1% to 3% of the population during the same period. In 2020, the Catholic Church grew most rapidly in Asia (+1.8%) and Africa (+2.1%), with very slight growth in Europe (0.3%). The number of Catholics in North America has also increased over the last century, from about 15 million (5%) in 1910 to 89 million (8%) as of 2010. The Catholic share of North America's population grew from 16% to 26%, with the United States home to about 7% of all Catholics in the world.
Despite these growth trends, the Catholic population has declined in some countries with large Catholic populations, such as Brazil and Mexico. In Brazil, the share of self-identified Catholics dropped from approximately 74% in 2000 to 65% in 2010, while in Mexico, it decreased from 89% to 85% during the same period. In Western Europe and parts of the U.S., parishes are closing and consolidating, and it is unclear what effect the Covid-19 pandemic has had on church attendance. While the number of self-identified Catholics has grown in the U.S., this growth is largely due to immigration, with more than half (52%) of all migrants to the U.S. being Catholic.
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Geographic distribution
The geographic distribution of Catholics has changed significantly over the past century. In 1910, Europe was home to about two-thirds of all Catholics, with nearly nine-tenths living in Europe (65%) or Latin America (24%). However, by 2010, only about a quarter of Catholics (24%) resided in Europe, while the largest proportion (39%) was found in Latin America and the Caribbean. This shift is partly attributed to differing rates of overall population growth; Europe's share of the global population decreased from 24% in 1910 to 11% in 2010, while Latin America and the Caribbean's population grew from 4% to 9% during the same period.
Latin America remains the most heavily Catholic region, although the percentage of Catholics in its population has decreased from approximately 90% in 1910 to 72% in 2010. Brazil, with the largest Catholic population globally, saw a drop in self-identified Catholics from 74% in 2000 to 65% in 2010. Mexico, the second-largest Catholic population, experienced a similar decline from 89% to 85% during the same period. The United States contributes about 7% to the global Catholic population, with an estimated 23% of adults and 24% of the total population identifying as Catholic in 2010. The US Catholic population is heavily influenced by immigration, with more than half of Catholic immigrants originating from Latin America and the Caribbean.
While the Catholic population has declined in some regions, it has grown in others, particularly in Asia and Africa. In 2020, the Catholic Church's most rapid expansion occurred in Asia (+1.8%) and Africa (+2.1%), with very slight growth in Europe (0.3%). Africa and Asia now provide 60% of all seminarians worldwide, indicating the increasing importance of these regions to the Catholic Church. Despite the overall growth, the distribution of Catholic priests does not match the global Catholic population. For example, while the US and Canada are home to 84 million Catholics, they have almost the same number of priests as all of Africa, which has 236 million Catholics.
The changing geographic distribution of Catholics reflects the shifting religious landscape worldwide. While the Catholic Church has expanded more in the last 100 years than in its previous 2,000 years, this growth is predominantly outside the western hemisphere. In wealthier countries, secularization is on the rise, leading to a decrease in specific religious affiliations and formal religious practices. As a result, the global Catholic story is not one of steady decline but rather rapid growth in specific regions, transforming the Church's demographic landscape.
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Catholic population decline
Globally, the Catholic population has been relatively stable over the last century, making up about half of all Christians and 16-17% of the total world population. However, the geographic distribution of Catholics has changed significantly. In 1910, nearly nine in ten Catholics lived in Europe (65%) or Latin America (24%), but by 2010, only about a quarter (24%) were in Europe, with the largest share now in Latin America and the Caribbean (39%).
While the Catholic population has grown in absolute numbers, there has been a relative decline in several countries with large Catholic populations. For example, in Brazil, the share of self-identified Catholics dropped from approximately 74% in 2000 to 65% in 2010. Mexico, the country with the second-largest Catholic population, saw a similar decline from 89% in 2000 to 85% in 2010. The United States, home to about 7% of the world's Catholics, has also experienced demographic shifts, with the Catholic population losing more members than it has gained from religious switching.
The Catholic Church in the global North, including Western Europe and parts of the U.S., is facing significant challenges. Parishes are closing or consolidating, and it is unclear what long-term impact the Covid-19 pandemic will have on church attendance. While the overall Christian share of the population in the U.S. has declined, the Catholic share has remained relatively stable in recent years, ranging between 19% and 21% according to recent surveys.
The decline in some regions is attributed to various factors, including secularization, immigration, and changes in religious switching. In the U.S., immigration has helped bolster the number of Catholics, with more than half of all migrants being Catholic. However, the distribution of priests does not match the Catholic population, with more than 50% of priests living and ministering in the global North, while more than two-thirds of Catholics live elsewhere. This mismatch has led to a rising number of Catholics per priest globally.
To address the challenges and stem the outflow of Catholics from the Church, some have called for a complete overhaul in how the Church operates, acknowledging that there is no single "silver bullet" solution. The Church is also facing a decline in the number of pastoral workers and candidates for the priesthood, except in Africa, which saw a slight increase in seminarians.
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Catholic immigration
According to statistics released by the Vatican in February 2022, there were 1.36 billion Catholics in the world in 2020, making up 17.7% of the world's population. This represents a remarkable stability in the share of Catholics worldwide over the past century, as they comprised 17% of the world's population in 1910. However, the geographic distribution of Catholics has changed significantly during this period. While Europe was home to about two-thirds of all Catholics in 1910, only about a quarter (24%) resided there in 2010. The largest share was in Latin America and the Caribbean (39%), with Brazil and Mexico having the largest and second-largest Catholic populations globally, respectively.
The United States is home to about 7% of all Catholics worldwide. As of 2010, an estimated 23% of US adults and 24% of the total population were Catholic. The Catholic population in the US has been heavily influenced by immigration, with more than half (52%) of all immigrants to the country being Catholic. Of the estimated 75.4 million Catholics in the US in 2010, 22.2 million were born outside the country (30%), compared to just over 13% of the overall US population being foreign-born. Three-quarters (76%) of Catholic immigrants in the US are from Latin America and the Caribbean, while about 10% each come from Asia-Pacific and Europe.
The Catholic Church in the United States has a long history of embracing newcomers, providing assistance and pastoral care to immigrants, migrants, refugees, and people on the move. This is based on the Church's teaching to "welcome the stranger among us," as expressed in the 2001 pastoral statement, "Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity." Catholic organizations such as Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) and Catholic Charities actively promote the dignity and protect the rights of immigrants. CLINIC provides legal services and resources to prevent immigration services fraud, while Catholic Charities offers various assistance, including food pantries and other essential services, to migrants and community members in need, regardless of their background.
While the Catholic Church has expanded more in the last 100 years than at any other time in its history, this growth has been predominantly outside the western hemisphere. In most wealthier countries, secularization is increasing, leading to a decline in specific religious affiliations and formal religious practices. For example, in Western Europe and parts of the US, parishes are closing and consolidating. However, the Church in the global North is now being significantly supported by priests and religious workers from the global South, particularly Africa and Asia, which provide 60% of all seminarians worldwide.
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Catholic population by continent
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. 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, the distribution has shifted significantly over the past century.
Catholic Population in Europe
In 2010, only about a quarter of all Catholics (24%) resided in Europe. Italy, Poland, and Spain have high proportions of Catholics, with more than 90% of their populations identifying as Catholic. However, Europe has experienced a slow growth rate and increasing secularization. The number of priests in Europe has declined, and there is, on average, one priest for every 1,746 Catholics.
Catholic Population in Latin America
Latin America, including countries like Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay, has a high proportion of Catholics, with about 39% of the population identifying as Catholic. Brazil, in particular, has the largest number of Catholics globally, with approximately 54.2% of its population, or about 126.8 million people, identifying as Catholic.
Catholic Population in North America
North America, including the United States and Canada, is home to approximately 84 million Catholics. The Catholic population in the United States has been influenced by immigration, with 30% of Catholics in the country, or 22.2 million people, being foreign-born. About 76% of Catholic immigrants in the United States are from Latin America and the Caribbean, while 10% are from Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Catholic Population in Africa
Africa has the fastest-growing Catholic population, with a 3.31% increase between 2022 and 2023. The Democratic Republic of Congo leads the region with nearly 55 million Catholics, followed by Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Africa has a young church demographic, and its dynamic growth suggests that it may become the center of Catholicism in the future.
Catholic Population in Asia
Asia, despite having a large total population, is home to a minority of Catholics, making up about 11% of the global Catholic population. The Philippines has the largest Catholic population in Southeast Asia, with 93 million Catholics, followed by India with 23 million.
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Frequently asked questions
Approximately 17.7% of the world's population is Catholic, which equates to about 1.4 billion people.
The percentage of Catholics in the world has remained relatively stable over the past century, going from 17% in 1910 to 16% in 2010. However, the geographic distribution of Catholics has changed significantly during this period.
The Americas have the highest proportion of Catholics, accounting for about 47.8% of the global total. South America alone is home to 28% of the world's Catholics.
