What is happening in the Church in Latin America?How promising is the future of the Church in Africa?The Pontifical Yearbook 2025 indicates that the number of Catholics in the world increased between 2022 and 2023. The continent with the greatest presence of Christians is the Americas, being Brazil the country with the largest number of faithful (13 % of the world total). However, the number of vocations to the priesthood continues to decline worldwide, confirming a trend that began in 2012.
Africa, faithful despite persecution
It is noteworthy that Africa, despite the persecutions suffered by Christians, is home to 20 % of the world's Catholics. In fact, it is the continent where the number of faithful has grown the most and where more men have entered the seminary. The country with the most Catholics is the Democratic Republic of Congo, followed by Nigeria. Another piece of good news for the African continent is the increase in the number of bishops appointed between 2022 and 2023.
America, where nearly half of the world's Catholics are located.
The Americas are home to nearly 50 % of the world's Catholics. The vast majority reside in South America, followed by Central America and 6.6 % in North America. Brazil, as noted, has approximately 182 million Catholics, representing 13% of the world's Catholic population. However, there has been a decreasing trend in the percentage of Catholics in the country. While in the 1970s more than 90 % of Brazilians identified themselves as Catholics, today this figure has decreased to less than 50 %. This decline is attributed to the growth of other religious denominations and the increase of people with no religious affiliation.
Despite the large number of Christians in the territory, there have not been many appointments of bishops in the years reflected by the Annuario Pontificio.
Asia, with the Philippines leading the way
The Catholic faithful in Asia have increased by 0.6 % between 2022 and 2023, with the vast majority of them in the Philippines. Also noteworthy is the presence of the faithful in India, where 23 million Catholics live. Along with the increase in the number of Christians, Asia has also received several new bishops.
Europe stagnates
Europe is the continent with the slowest growth in the number of The VaticanIn some countries, the population of some countries that confess the Catholic faith has increased. Among these nations are Italy, Poland and Spain, which seems to be a mistake, since according to recent data, the percentage of Spaniards identifying themselves as Catholics in 2024 was around 52%, while in Italy and Poland it is at 71%. On the other hand, not many episcopal appointments have taken place between 2022 and 2023.
Oceania, more than 11 million Catholics
There are more than 11 million Catholics in Oceania, and the number of faithful has increased by almost 2 %. However, unlike the rest of the continents, there are no more bishops in Oceania than before.
Decrease in the number of priests
While there has been an increase in the number of Catholics, the same is not true for priestly vocations. The number of men entering seminaries has decreased by 0.2 % worldwide, as numbers have fallen in Europe, Oceania and the Americas. Africa and Asia are the only continents where vocations have increased, with the former leading the way in the number of men receiving the sacrament of Holy Orders.
Considering these data, and in spite of the number of priests in Africa, Africa, South America and Central America suffer from a shortage of priests to serve the faithful of the territory. However, the balance is positive in North America, Europe and Oceania, where there are more priests than laity.
The same downward trend can be observed among seminarians. Fewer and fewer men are candidates for the priesthood, a decline that is taking place worldwide except in Africa, where seminarians have increased by 1.1 %.
Deacons increase, but there are fewer religious
According to the Pontifical Yearbook, permanent deacons are the group that grew the most between 2022 and 2023, with the number increasing especially in Oceania and Africa. But it is striking that in Africa this number has decreased, a trend that is also observed in Europe.
Another noteworthy fact is the decrease in the number of professed religious men and women worldwide, except in Africa, the only continent where vocations to religious life increased between 2022 and 2023.
