(ZENIT News – FIDES / Vatican City, 21.10.2022).- On the occasion of the 96th World Mission Sunday, being observed on Sunday, October 23, 2022. Fides News Service offered the principal statistical data regarding the Catholic Church. The statistics chosen give a panorama of the missionary Church all over the world. 

The tables are taken from the latest edition of the “Church’s Book of Statistics” (updated to December 31, 2020) and refer the members of the Church, its pastoral structures, and activities in healthcare, welfare and education. Reported finally is the picture of ecclesiastical circumscriptions dependent on the Dicastery for Evangelization. 

Pointed out between parenthesis is the variation, increase (+) or decrease (-), with regard to the previous year (December 31, 2019), according to the comparison made by Fides Agency. Included finally are the ecclesiastical circumspections dependent on the Dicastery for Evangelization.

World Population 

Up to December 31, 2020 the world population was 7,667,136,000, with an increase of 89,359,000 units compared to the previous year. Population growth was registered, also this year, on every Continent. 

The most consistent increases were again in Asia (+39,670,000) and in Africa (+37,844,000), followed by America (+8,560,000), Europe (+2,657,000) and Oceania (+628,000). 

Number of Catholics and Percentage

The number of Catholics on December 31, 2020 was 1,359,612,000 people, with a total increase of 15,2009,000 units compared to the previous year. The increase concerns four Continents, with the exception of Oceania (-9,000).

As in the past, the greatest increase was in Africa (+5,290,000) and in America (+6,463,000), followed by Asia (+2,731,000) and Europe (+734,000). 

The world percentage of Catholics has decreased slightly (-0.01) compared to the previous year, halting at 17.73%.

The Continents reflect little variations, except for Oceania which remains stable. 

Inhabitants and Catholics per Priest

The number of inhabitants per priest has also increased this year, by a total of 95 units reaching the quota of 14,948. 

The distribution by Continents saw increases in Oceania (+349), America (+177) and Europe (+130), whereas they decreased in Africa (-1,784) and Asia (-78). The number of Catholics per priest increased by a total of 69 units, reaching the number 3,314). Increases were verified in all the Continents: America (+117), Oceania (+53), Europe (+49), Asia (+15) and Africa (+3). 

Ecclesiastical circumscriptions and mission stations

Ecclesiastical circumscriptions have increased by 1 unit compared to the previous year, reaching 3,027. 

New circumscriptions have been created in America (+2), the other Continents remaining without variations, except for Asia, where they decreased by 1 unit.

The missionary stations with resident priests total 3,284 (+67). They increased in America (+149) and in Oceania (+6), whereas they decreased in Asia (-66), in Africa (-19) and in Europe (-3). The missionary stations without a resident priest  decreased by a total of 253 units, stopping at the number 131,154 with variations distributed in the following way: decreased in America (-122), in Asia (-383), in Europe (-1), increased in Africa (+249) and in Oceania (+4). 

Bishops 

The number of Bishops worldwide has decreased by 1 unit, with a total of 5,363. Diocesan Bishops have increased (+22) but Religious Bishops have decreased (-23) The total number of diocesan Bishops is 4,156, whereas Religious Bishops are 1,207. 

Diocesan Bishops increased in America (+25) and in Asia (+2), whereas they decreased in Europe (-4) and in Oceania (-1). They remained without variation in Africa. Religious Bishops decreased in all the Continents: America (-9), Asia (-7), Europe (-5), Africa (-2). In Oceania, the number remained without variation. 

Priests 

The total number of priests in the world decreased, halting at a quota of 410,219 (-4,117). Pointed out again is a considerable decrease in Europe (-4,374) to which America is added (-1,421) and Oceania (-104). The increase was reflected in Africa (+1,004) and in Asia (+778). 

The Diocesan Priests in the world decreased globally by 1,615 units, reaching the number 280,521, with decreases in Europe (-2,880), in America (-364) and in Oceania (-40). Increases were verified in Africa (+1,116) and in Asia (+553). 

Religious Priests have decreased as a whole by 2,502 units and they number 129,6998. Increases were registered only in Asia (+225 ), whereas they decreased in Europe (-1,494), in America (-1,057, in Africa (-112) and in Oceania (-64). 

Permanent Deacons 

Permanent Deacons in the world continue to increase, this year reaching 397 units, to 48,635. The highest increase was registered in America (+558), and in Oceania (+38) whereas they decreased in Europe (-97), Asia (-62) and Africa (-40). 

Permanent Diocesan Deacons in the world number 48,259, with a total increase of 656 units. They increased in America (+604), Oceania (+436), Asia (+17), Europe (+10) and decreased only in Africa (-11). Permanent Religious Deacons number 376, with a great decrease of 259 units compared to the previous year. The decreases happened in (-107), Asia (-79), America (-46), and Africa (-29), with an increase only in Oceania (+2). 

Men and Women Religious 

The non-religious priests increased by 274 units, to 50,569. Decreases were registered in America (-537) and in Oceania (-67). They increased in Europe (+428), Asia (+347) and Africa (+103). 

Confirmed is the global tendency of a decrease of women religious, this year by 10,553 units. Currently they number a total of 619,546. Increases were registered once again in Africa (+2,503) and in Asia (+364), and decreases in Europe (-8,852), America (-4,326) and Oceania (-242). 

Secular Institutes

The masculine members of Secular Institutes number a total of 583 (+1). They decreased only in Africa (-14), they increased in America (+11) and in Asia (+4), whereas the number remains without variations in Europe and Oceania. 

The members of Feminine Secular Institutes have also decreased this year by a total of 947 units, for a total of 19,966 members. They increased in Africa (+60) and decreased in Europe (-924), America (-81) and Asia (-2), and they remain without variation in Oceania. 

Lay Missionaries and Catechists

The number of lay missionaries in the world is 413,561, with a global increase of 3,121 units, distributed as follows: Africa (+559), America (+3,535), Asia (+4,114), Europe (-5,064), Oceania (-23).

Catechists in the world have decreased by a total of 190,985, now numbering 2,883.049. Decreases have been registered in America (-162,010), Europe (-24,954), Asia (-18,282) and Oceania (-505). The only increase was registered in Africa (+14,766. 

Major Seminarians 

Major seminarians, diocesan and religious, have decreased globally this year by 2,203 units, numbering at present 111,855. An increase was registered only in Africa (+907), whereas they decreased in America  (-1,261) Asia (-1168), Europe (-680) and Oceania (-1). 

Diocesan Major Seminarians number 67,987 (-622), and the Religious 43,868 (-1,581). Diocesan Major Seminarians increased in Africa (+505) and Oceania (+9) whereas they decreased in America (-524), Europe (-497) and Asia (-115). Religious Major Seminarians increased only in Africa (+402), whereas they decreased in Asia (-1,053), America (-737), Europe (-183) and Oceania (-10). 

Minor Seminarians 

The number of Minor Seminarians, diocesan and religious, decreased for the fifth year by 1,592 units, numbering now a total of 95,398. They decreased in America (-1,049), Asia (-644), and Europe (-2750, whereas they increased in Africa (+375) and Oceania (+1). 

Minor diocesan seminarians number 73,243 (-1,733) and the religious 22,155 (+141). There are only decreases for diocesan seminarians, distributed as follows: Africa (-353), America (-803), Asia (-448), Europe (-122) and Oceania (-7). Minor religious seminarians decreased in America (-246), Asia (-196) and Europe (-153), whereas they increased in Africa (+728) and Oceania (+8). 

Institutes of Instruction and Education

In the field of instruction and education the Church runs 72,785 kindergartens with 7,510,632 pupils, 99,668 primary schools with 34,614,488 pupils; 49,437 secondary schools with 19,252,704 pupils. The Church also cares for 2,403,787 high school pupils and 3,771,946 University students. 

Health, Charitable and Assistance Institutes 

Charity and healthcare centers run in the world by the Church include: 5,322 hospitals, 14,415 dispensaries, the majority in Africa (4,956) and America (3,785); 534 Care Homes for people with Leprosy, principally in Asia (265) and Africa (210); 15,204 Homes for the Elderly or the chronically ill or people with disability the majority in Europe (7,953); 9,230 orphanages the majority in Asia (3,201); 10,441 creches the majority in Asia (2,801) and America (2,8160); 10,362 marriage counselling centers, the majority in Europe (5,279) and America (2,604); 3,137 education or social re-education centers and 34,291 other kinds of Institutes. 

Ecclesiastical Circumscriptions Dependent on the Dicastery for Evangelization

According to the latest registered variation, the ecclesiastical circumscriptions dependent on the Dicastery for Evangelization number 1,118. Most of the ecclesiastical circumscriptions entrusted to the Dicastery are in Africa (518) and in Asia (483), followed by America (71), and Oceania (46). 

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