Africa surpasses Europe in Catholic population, Vatican figures show
Africa has overtaken Europe in its share of the global Catholic population, according to Vatican figures reported by Reuters on Friday.
The figures, compiled by the Vatican’s news agency Fides, showed that Africa accounted for 20.3 per cent of Catholics worldwide as of June 2024, compared with 20.2 per cent in Europe.
The global Catholic population stood at 1.422 billion, representing 17.8 per cent of the world’s population and an increase from 1.405 billion recorded a year earlier.
The Americas accounted for the largest share of Catholics at 47.7 per cent, while Asia represented 11 per cent and Oceania 0.8 per cent.
The latest figures indicate a gradual shift in the geographical distribution of Catholics, with Africa’s share increasing while Europe’s proportion declined.
In its previous report, covering the period up to June 2023, Fides put Africa’s share of the global Catholic population at about 20 per cent, compared with 20.4 per cent for Europe.
The Vatican agency also recorded 5,525 bishops and 407,421 priests worldwide.
The number of priests rose by 425, marking the first increase in five years, according to the report.
