There has been a 1.15% increase in the global Catholic population, going from approximately 1.39 billion Catholics in 2022 to 1.406 billion in 2023.

Africa has registered the greatest growth, with the Catholic population on the continent increasing by 3.31%, from 272 million in 2022 to 281 million in 2023. It currently represents 20% of the world’s Catholic population.

Meanwhile, the Americas continue to be the region of the world with the highest proportion of Catholics, accounting for 47.8% of the global total. This increase is moderate, with a growth of 0.9% over the period.

In Asia, the Catholic population grew by 0.6% while Europe, home to 20.4% of the world’s Catholics, remains the least dynamic with its Catholic population increasing by only 0.2% between 2022 and 2023, reflecting a near-stagnant dynamic.

In Oceania, the Catholic population experienced an increase of 1.9%, with a total population of just over 11 million Catholics in 2023.