As of 2023-2025, the worldwide Catholic population is approximately 1.406 billion people. This reflects a 1.15% increase from about 1.39 billion in 2022
. Key details include:
- Africa has seen the most significant growth, with its Catholic population rising by 3.31% from 272 million in 2022 to 281 million in 2023, representing about 20% of the global Catholic population. The Democratic Republic of Congo leads Africa with nearly 55 million Catholics, followed by Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya
- The Americas remain the region with the highest proportion of Catholics, accounting for 47.8% of the global total, with moderate growth of 0.9%. Brazil has the largest number of Catholics in South America, with 182 million
- Asia accounts for around 11% of the global Catholic population, with notable concentrations in the Philippines (93 million) and India (23 million)
- Europe holds about 20.4% of the global Catholic community but shows very slow growth (0.2% increase) and is the least dynamic region demographically
- Oceania has just over 11 million Catholics, with a 1.9% increase from 2022 to 2023
In summary, the global Catholic population stands at about 1.4 billion, with growth driven primarily by Africa and sustained numbers in the Americas and Asia
