Grace Thompson
Christianity is the largest religious group in the world, with an estimated 2.3 to 2.6 billion adherents in 2020. Christians make up about a third of the world's population, with around 50% of them being Catholic. This equates to around 16% of the total global population. The number of Christians around the world has nearly quadrupled in the last 100 years, rising from about 600 million in 1910 to more than 2 billion in 2010. During this time, the geographic distribution of Catholics has also shifted, with Europe's share decreasing from 65% in 1910 to 24% in 2010, while Latin America and the Caribbean's share increased from 24% to 39%.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Christians who are Catholic | 50% |
| Number of Christians in the world | 2.18 billion to 2.6 billion |
| Percentage of the world's population that is Christian | 31% to 35% |
| Number of Catholics in the world | 1.272 billion to 1.406 billion |
| Percentage of the world's population that is Catholic | 16% |
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What You'll Learn
Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity
The geographic distribution of Catholics has changed significantly over the last 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%). By 2010, only about a quarter of Catholics (24%) resided in Europe, with the largest share (39%) in Latin America and the Caribbean. This shift is partly due to differing population growth rates in various regions. For example, Europe's share of the global population decreased from 24% in 1910 to 11% in 2010, while Latin America and the Caribbean's share grew from 4% to 9% during the same period.
The Catholic population has remained relatively stable as a proportion of the total global population over the last century, accounting for about 17% in 1910 and 16% in 2010. However, the overall number of Catholics has grown, with a higher fertility rate among Catholics than the global average. The Vatican's ban on modern birth control methods has influenced family size within the Catholic community.
Catholicism's position as the largest Christian branch is followed by Protestantism, which constitutes 24-40% of Christians worldwide. However, it is important to note that the wide range in Protestant population estimates is due to the lack of a consensus among scholars on which denominations constitute Protestantism. Independents or non-core Protestants, including Pentecostalists, are considered the second-largest Christian tradition after Catholicism, with an estimated 450 million adherents worldwide as of mid-2019.
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Catholics make up 16% of the global population
Catholicism is the main branch of Christianity, and the Catholic Church is the largest church. According to a Pew Research study, Catholics comprise about 50% of Christians worldwide and 16% of the total global population. This equates to approximately 1.4 billion people.
While the number of Christians worldwide has nearly quadrupled in the last 100 years, from about 600 million in 1910 to more than 2 billion in 2010, the proportion of Catholics has remained remarkably stable. In 1910, Catholics made up about 48% of all Christians and 17% of the world's population.
The geographic distribution of Catholics has changed significantly over the past century. In 1910, Europe was home to about two-thirds of all Catholics, and nearly nine-tenths lived in Europe (65%) or Latin America (24%). By 2010, only about a quarter of Catholics (24%) were in Europe, with the largest share in Latin America and the Caribbean (39%).
The number of Catholics has grown in certain regions, such as Latin America and the Caribbean, which grew from 4% of the global population in 1910 to 9% in 2010. However, the share of the Catholic population in Latin America decreased from about 90% in 1910 to 72% in 2010. The Middle East and North Africa, the ancient cradle of Christianity, are now home to less than 1% of Catholics, similar to a century ago.
Catholicism is the largest Christian denomination, followed by Protestants, who make up 37% of Christians worldwide, and Orthodox Christians, who comprise 12%. Other Christians, such as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, constitute the remaining 1%.
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The geographic distribution of Catholics has changed
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, only about a quarter of Catholics (24%) lived in Europe, with the largest share (39%) living in Latin America and the Caribbean. North America's share of the global Catholic population has also increased, from 5% in 1910 to 8% in 2010.
The Middle East and North Africa, the ancient cradle of Christianity, are currently home to less than 1% of Catholics, about the same as in 1910. However, the Catholic population in the United States has declined, dropping from 24% at the turn of the century to around 20% since 2014. The distribution of Catholics within the US has also changed, with more Catholics now living in the South and West than in the Northeast and Midwest.
Looking forward, it is projected that the proportion of Catholics in the developing world will increase. By 2050, Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to account for two-fifths of all Catholics, while Africa is expected to have more than one-fifth. In contrast, Europe's share of Catholics is projected to decrease from one-fourth in 2004 to one-sixth in 2050, and the number of Catholics in Europe is expected to decline by 6% between 2004 and 2050. Brazil and Mexico are expected to remain the two largest Catholic countries, with the Philippines expected to become the third-largest by 2050.
These changes in the geographic distribution of Catholics have significant implications for the Catholic Church. The Church may need to devote greater attention to issues affecting Catholics in the developing world, such as poverty, hunger, and healthcare. It may also need to take measures to ensure that priests from the developing world attain positions of power and rely more on youth from these regions to fill the ranks of priests and nuns.
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Catholics are the majority in Latin America and the Caribbean
Christianity is the largest religious group in the world, with an estimated 2.3 to 2.6 billion adherents in 2020. Christians make up about a third of the world's population, with around half of them being Catholic. That equates to somewhere between 1.15 and 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.
The Catholic Church still has a major influence in Latin American society, more so than in Europe and some other Western nations. In 2012, Latin America was home to the world's second-largest Christian population, after Europe. A 2014 survey found that 69% of the Latin American population was Catholic, 19% was Protestant, and 19% was not religiously affiliated. However, membership in Protestant denominations is increasing, particularly in Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Puerto Rico, and Pentecostalism is attracting growing numbers of the middle classes.
The slow embrace of religious freedom in Latin America is related to its colonial heritage and the pre-existing role of religion in pre-Columbian culture. The Aztec and Inca, for example, used religion to support their authority, and this made it easy for Spanish conquistadors to replace native religious structures with Catholicism.
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Catholic immigrants in the US mostly come from Latin America
Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity, with around half of all Christians identifying as Catholic. The Catholic Church is also the single largest religious group in the world, with an estimated 1.39 billion baptised members in 2022, according to the Annuario Pontificio. This figure rose to 1.4 billion in 2023.
In the United States, Catholicism has seen a significant drop in membership over time. However, this decline has been offset by the arrival of new immigrants, many of whom are Catholics from Latin America. The growth of the Catholic population in the US can be attributed to the relatively high fertility rates among Latino women, as well as the social and community aspects of religion for newcomers.
The resilience of Catholicism in the US is closely linked to the increasing demographic presence of Hispanic and Latino communities. This is particularly evident in the Northeastern United States, where the Catholic Church has actively expanded, and in Texas, where the first Roman Catholic cardinal was appointed in recognition of the growing Catholic population from Mexico and Central America.
While Latin American immigrants have contributed to the stability and growth of Catholicism in the US, it is important to note that not all Latinos are Catholic. Many are Protestant, and there is also a significant proportion of non-religious individuals within these communities. Additionally, some Latin Americans may identify as culturally Catholic but attend evangelical or Protestant churches, reflecting a diverse religious landscape within these immigrant populations.
In summary, Catholic immigrants in the US do indeed mostly come from Latin America, and their presence has helped bolster the Catholic Church's membership and resilience in the face of declining religious affiliation among US-born Americans.
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Frequently asked questions
About 50% of Christians worldwide are Catholics.
There are around 2.3 to 2.6 billion Christians in the world, comprising about 31% to 33% of the world's population.
There are about 1.27 billion Catholics in the world, according to the World Christian Database in 2025. This figure does not include independent denominations that self-identify as Catholic, which number around 18 million adherents.
Catholicism is the main branch of Christianity, and the Catholic Church is the largest among churches.
The Catholic population has remained relatively stable as a proportion of the world's population. In 1910, Catholics comprised about 48% of all Christians and 17% of the world's total population. A century later, Catholics still comprise about 50% of Christians and 16% of the global population.
