New statistics from the Vatican’s Agenzia Fides news agency revealed that while Europe’s Catholic population decreased by nearly half a million in 2022, growth occurred in other areas.
Globally, the Catholic population reached approximately 1.39 billion, an increase of over 13 million. Catholics now make up about 17.7% of the world’s population.
Africa saw the largest growth, adding more than 7 million Catholics to surpass 272 million. The Americas increased by nearly 6 million, totaling over 666 million Catholics.
Europe experienced declines in both population and clergy. The number of priests worldwide decreased slightly to 407,730, with reductions in Europe, the Americas and Oceania. In contrast, Africa and Asia saw increases in priestly numbers.
The number of women religious fell below 600,000, continuing a downward trend. Meanwhile, the number of permanent deacons increased globally.
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Photo credit: Mrugas PHOTOgraphy / Shutterstock.com | Source: Agenzia Fides
