The Pontifical Yearbook 2025 and the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2023 have been published, and edited by the Central Office of Church Statistics, of the Secretariat of State.
By examining the data reported in the Pontifical Yearbook, information can be obtained regarding the life of the Catholic Church in the world for 2024, while the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae offers a snapshot view of the main quantitative phenomena regarding the pastoral action of the Catholic Church in the world.
The Catholic population has grown on the five continents, with Africa recording the highest percentage increase (+ 3.31%). And again, in Africa and also in Asia there has been an increase in priests, while they have decreased in Europe and Oceania. There is a fluctuation in the number of professed men religious and men in the major seminaries.
Africa gathers 20% of the Catholics of the entire planet and is characterized by a very dynamic spread of the Catholic Church.
With a growth of 0.9%, in a two-year period, America consolidates its position as the continent to which 47.8% of the world’s Catholics belong.
The Asian continent records a growth of Catholics of 0.6% in a two-year period, its value in 2023 is around 11% in the Catholic world.
Europe, despite hosting 20.4% of the world’s Catholic community, remains the least dynamic area, with a growth in the number of Catholics in a two-year period of just 0.2%.