Vatican City: On the eve of the 99th World Mission Day, celebrated this year on October 19 with the theme “Missionaries of Hope among all Peoples,” the Vatican’s news agency Fides has released its annual statistical report detailing the state of the Catholic Church across the globe. While the Church continues to grow numerically reaching more corners of the world than ever before the data also reveal a troubling and continuing decline in priestly and religious vocations.
According to the statistics compiled by Fides, the world’s population reached 7.91 billion in 2023, marking an increase across all continents, including Europe, which had previously shown stagnation. Of this total, the number of Catholics rose by 15.88 million compared to the previous year, bringing the global Catholic share to 17.8% of the world’s population, up by 0.1%.
Africa continued to be the continent of greatest Catholic growth, adding 8.3 million faithful, followed by the Americas (+5.7 million), Asia (+954,000), Europe (+740,000), and Oceania (+210,000). The data confirm that Catholicism remains vibrant in regions where the Church is young and dynamic, particularly in Africa and parts of Asia, while older Catholic regions in the West show slower
The number of bishops worldwide rose modestly to 5,430, an increase of 77 over the previous year. Among them, diocesan bishops grew by 84, reaching 4,258, while bishops belonging to religious orders decreased slightly to 1,172.
However, the report paints a less optimistic picture for the clergy. The total number of priests fell by 734, leaving the global total at 406,996. This downward trend has persisted for several consecutive years, despite small gains in the Global South.
Europe once again recorded the steepest decline, with 2,486 fewer priests, followed by the Americas (-800) and Oceania (-44). By contrast, Africa gained 1,451 priests, and Asia added 1,145, reflecting the demographic vitality of these continents.
Of the total clergy, 278,742 are diocesan priests, a decrease of 429, while religious order priests now number 128,254, marking a drop of 305 from the previous year.
One of the few bright spots in the report is the steady increase in permanent deacons, who now number 51,433 worldwide. The greatest growth was recorded in the Americas (+1,257) and Oceania (+57), underscoring the growing importance of deacons in parish ministry and community service.
Slight declines were noted in Asia (-1), Africa (-3), and Europe (-27), but the overall trend remains positive. Permanent deacons, often married men serving alongside priests, continue to play a crucial role in sustaining pastoral care in regions facing priest shortages.
The statistics show a continued fall in the number of men and women in religious life. The number of male religious who are not priests fell to 48,748, down by 736 from the previous year. Europe saw the largest decrease (-308), followed by the Americas (-293), Asia (-196), and Oceania (-46). Only Africa recorded a modest increase of +107, again reflecting the vitality of the continent’s faith communities.
The decline among women religious is even more pronounced. Their total number now stands at 589,423, representing a drop of 9,805 compared to the last survey. While Africa (+1,804) and Asia (+46) saw growth, the numbers continued to fall sharply in Europe (-7,338), the Americas (-4,066), and Oceania (-251). The figures illustrate an ongoing generational challenge, as aging religious communities struggle to attract new members.
Perhaps most concerning for the Church’s future is the continued decline in seminarians, both major and minor. The total number of major seminarians those preparing for the priesthood fell to 106,495, down from 108,481 the previous year. Only Africa saw an increase, adding 383 seminarians.
Similarly, minor seminarians, those in earlier stages of formation, dropped to 95,021, a decrease of 140. Notably, Africa, which had shown growth in the 2022 survey, recorded a slight decline of 90 this year. These figures point to a long-term challenge in fostering vocations in traditional strongholds and ensuring continuity in priestly ministry worldwide.
Despite the vocational decline, the Church’s educational and charitable outreach remains formidable. The Catholic Church operates 74,550 kindergartens serving 7.6 million students, 102,455 primary schools with over 36 million pupils, and 52,085 secondary schools educating 20.7 million students. In higher education, 2.68 million students are enrolled in Catholic institutions, and 4.47 million study in Catholic universities worldwide.
In the field of healthcare and social services, the Church manages 103,951 institutions, including 5,377 hospitals, 13,895 dispensaries, and 504 leper colonies. Additionally, there are 15,566 homes for the elderly, chronically ill, and disabled; 10,858 daycare centers; 10,827 marriage counseling centers; and 3,147 rehabilitation and reintegration centers, alongside 5,184 other types of institutions.
The statistics, while mixed, capture a global Church that continues to grow in faith and service, even amid demographic and vocational challenges. The rise in Catholic population, particularly in Africa and Asia, points to new centers of missionary energy and vitality. Yet, the decline in priests and religious vocations, especially in the West, underscores the urgent need for renewed pastoral outreach and encouragement of young people to embrace consecrated life.
As the Church marks World Mission Day 2025, Pope Leo XIV and Church leaders are expected to renew calls for missionary zeal both in traditional mission territories and within secularized societies. The data from Fides thus serve as both a sign of encouragement and a call to action: that amid global change, the Church remains steadfast in her mission to be a “light of hope among all peoples.”