World Catholic Population hits 1.4 billion with 3.31% increase in Africa
The Church in Africa witnessed a rise in its membership from 272 million in 2022 to 281 million in 2023 securing 20% of Catholics in the world.
The global population of Catholics has increased by 1.15% between 2022 and 2023, rising from approximately 1.39 billion to 1.406 billion with the Church in Africa contributing significantly to the growth with a continental rise of 3.31%.
This is according to 2025 Annuario Pontificio and 2023 Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae released by the Vatican Friday March 21, 2025.
The Church in Africa witnessed a rise in its membership from 272 million in 2022 to 281 million in 2023 contributing to 20% of Catholics in the world.
The Democratic Republic of Congo sits in first place with the number of baptized Catholics in Africa at almost 55 million, followed by Nigeria with 35 million; Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya also register significant figures.
The reports also highlight significant trends in the number of priest, showing a slight global decline of 0.2% in the number of priests. However, Africa and Asia saw increases, with Africa showing a 2.7% rise in priests.
Mike 105.3 FM |Navrongo| Alexander Bombande with files from the Vatican News.
