Catholic Church statistics show global growth and priest increase

The Vatican’s Fides news agency has released the 2026 Church Statistics report, revealing that the global Catholic population has risen to 1.422 billion, an increase of 16.69 million compared to the previous year. Catholics now represent 17.8% of the world's population.

Growth was recorded on every continent, led by Africa with 7.58 million new Catholics and the Americas with nearly 7 million. Notably, Africa has surpassed Europe in total Catholic numbers, with 288.31 million faithful compared to Europe's 287.24 million.

For the first time in five years, the total number of priests has seen a slight increase, rising by 425 to a total of 407,421. This growth was driven by increases in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, which offset significant declines in Europe and Oceania. However, the number of religious sisters and major seminarians continues to decline globally, with Africa being the only continent to see an increase in both categories. The report also highlights a growing role for lay missionaries and catechists.