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More Catholics in Africa than in Europe

Vatican figures show that 20.3% of the world’s 1.42 billion Catholics now live in Africa, just ahead of Europe’s 20.2%.

By Alvise Armellini· ·1 min read ·Vatican City
A globe turned to show the map of Africa
A globe turned to show the map of Africa

There are now more Catholics in Africa than in Europe, the Vatican said in late October, releasing the latest Catholic Church statistics compiled by its news agency Fides.

  • The total number of Catholics in the world stood at 1.422 billion at the end of June 2024, representing 17.8% of the global population, and up 0.1% year on year
  • Some 20.3% of Catholics live in Africa and 20.2% in Europe, with the Americas accounting for 47.7%, Asia 11% and Oceania 0.8%
  • In last year’s statistics, relating to the end of June 2023, there were 1.405 billion Catholics globally, with about 20% of them living in Africa and 20.4% living in Europe
  • Fides also counted 5,525 bishops around the world and 407,421 priests, noting that the number of priests, up by 425, had increased for the first time in five years

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Hugh Lawson)