Africa has overtaken Europe in the number of Catholic Church members, according to new statistics released by the Vatican.
The figures were published on Friday, October 16, 2026, by Fides, the Catholic Church’s news agency. They show that Africa accounts for 20.3% of Catholics worldwide, compared with 20.2% in Europe. Reuters reported that the figures mark a shift in the global distribution of Catholics, as Europe had long maintained a larger Catholic population than Africa.
Africa Records More Than 288 Million Catholics
According to figures collected up to the end of June 2024, the global Catholic population reached 1.422 billion, representing 17.8% of the world’s total population. The total increased by 0.1% compared with the previous year, showing continued growth in the worldwide Catholic population.
Africa had approximately 288.7 million Catholics, while Europe recorded around 287.2 million. This means Africa had approximately 1.5 million more Catholics than Europe. Statistics released the previous year, based on data collected up to June 2023, showed that the Catholic Church had 1.405 billion members worldwide. At that time, Africa accounted for 20% of Catholics, while Europe represented 20.4%.
The latest figures show that the positions have changed, with Africa moving ahead of Europe in the continental distribution of Catholic Church members.
The Americas Continue to Lead
Although Africa has surpassed Europe, the Americas remain home to the largest share of Catholics worldwide, accounting for 47.7% of the global total.
Asia accounts for 11% of Catholics, while Oceania represents 0.8%. These figures highlight differences in the distribution of Catholics across the world’s continents, with Africa now ahead of Europe and the Americas retaining the largest share.
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Vatican Reports Increase in Priests
The Fides report also highlighted changes in the number of leaders and religious personnel serving the Catholic Church worldwide. The figures show that the Church has 5,525 bishops and 407,421 priests. The number of priests increased by 425, marking the first rise in five years.
The report, published in October 2026, is based on statistics collected in 2024 and provides an overview of the Catholic Church’s global membership and religious personnel.
