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Catholic Church by country

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Catholic Church is "the Catholic Communion of Churches, both Roman and Eastern, or Oriental, that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the pope)."[2] This communion comprises the Latin Church (the Roman or Western Church) as well as 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, canonically called sui juris churches, each led by either a patriarch or a major archbishop in full communion with the pope. Historically, these bodies separated from Eastern Christian communions, either to remain in or to return to full communion with the Catholic Church. The Vatican II decree on Eastern Catholic Churches, however, explicitly recognizes them as churches and not just rites within the Catholic Church.[3] This communion "exists among and between the individual Churches and dioceses of the universal Catholic Church. Its structural expression is the College of Bishops, each of whom represents and embodies his own local church."[4]

Distribution of Catholics[1]
The percentage of Catholics by country, 2010
The number of Catholics by country, 2010

In addition to Eastern Catholic Churches, the Catholic Church oversees the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the largest Charismatic movement of a single institution in 2020, with over 100 million members, primarily in the Global South.[5][6] The Catholic Church is also described as an "amalgam of parts" (i.e., thousands of individual dioceses and religious orders) globally dispersed, but in communion with Rome.[7]

The church is the largest non-government provider of education and health care in the world,[8] while the diplomatic status of the Holy See facilitates access to its vast international network of charities. These entities include 5,000 hospitals, 10,000 orphanages, 95,000 elementary schools and 47,000 secondary schools.[9]

Methodology

Most of the figures are taken from the CIA's World Factbook or Pew Research Center surveys. In Latin American countries, Latinobarómetro is often cited. In Germany and other German-speaking regions of Europe, there are official membership statistics due to the fact that the government collects a church tax based on these membership lists. For this reason, statistics are not solely grounded on surveys based on self-identification. A baptismal certificate or other religious document is likewise secondary to church statistics.[10] This method may explain the discrepancy between Pew's figures on Germany[11] and the church figures.[12][13]

According to The World Factbook and Pew, the five countries with the largest number of Catholics are, in decreasing order:

The country with the largest percentage of its population having membership in the church is Vatican City at 100%, followed by Timor-Leste at 97%.

According to the World Christian Database, there are 1.279 billion Catholics worldwide as of 2026, which constitute 47.8% of 2.674 billion Christians.[14] According to the Census of the 2023 Annuario Pontificio ('Pontifical Yearbook'), the number of baptized Catholics in the world was about 1.376 billion at the end of 2021. The research initiative Catholics & Cultures compiles data on Catholic demographics, including from the Annuario Pontificio, by country.[15]

By country

By clicking on the arrow icons in the column headers, the following table can be re-ordered.

More information Country, Total population ...
Catholic Church by country
Country Total population % Catholic Catholic total
Afghanistan (details) 30,000,000 0% 0[16]
Albania (details) 2,402,113[17] 7.9%[18]–8.39%[17] 201,530[17]
Algeria (details) 46,000,000[19] 0%[20]–0.02%[21] 9,000[21]
Andorra (details) 70,000 63.8%[22] 61,740
Angola (details) 36,600,000 39.9%[23]–44.2%[24] 16,000,000
Antigua and Barbuda (details) 84,816 5.5%[25] 4,752
Argentina (details) 47,300,000 58%[26]–62.9%[27][28]–63%[29] 27,000,000–30,000,000
Armenia (details) 2,932,731[30] 0.61%[30] 17,884[30]
Australia (details) 25,380,000 16%[26]–20.0%[31] 5,076,000
Austria (details) 8,935,800[32]–9,197,000 49.6%–55.2%[32] 4,557,000[33]–4,933,300[32]
Azerbaijan (details) 9,400,000[34] 0.01%[35]–0.1%[22] 570[34]
Bahamas (details) 330,000 12%[36] 39,600
Bahrain (details) 1,500,000[37] 8.9%[38] 80,000[39]
Bangladesh (details) 158,000,000 0.07% 110,000[38]
Barbados (details) 250,012 3.8%[40] 10,000
Belarus (details) 9,500,000[41] 5.2%[22]–6%[41]–7.1%[42]–12%[43] 674,500
Belgium (details) 11,800,000[44] 31%[45][46]–44%[47] 3,600,000–5,200,000
Belize (details) 334,000 40%[48][49] 133,600
Benin (details) 7,460,025 24.9%[23] 1,858,000
Bhutan (details) 2,232,291 0.06% 1,339
Bolivia (details) 10,500,000 59.3%[22]–63%[29] 6,226,000–6,615,000
Bosnia and Herzegovina (details) 3,531,159[50] 14.9%[22]–15.2%[50] 331,266[51]–536,333[50]
Botswana (details) 1,640,115 1.7%[23] 28,000
Brazil (details) 203,080,000 46%[26][29]–56.75%[52] 100,200,000[53]–115,250,000
Brunei (details) 372,361 5%[38] 38,709
Bulgaria (details) 6,445,481 0.6%[54][55] 38,709
Burkina Faso (details) 13,925,313 20.1%[56]–21.1%[57] 4,121,536
Burundi (details) 12,000,000 56.8%[20]–58.6%[58]–62%[59] 7,000,000
Cabo Verde (details) 512,096 69.9%[23]–72.5%[60] 395,850
Cambodia (details) 13,607,069 0.4%[61] 54,000
Cameroon (details) 31,000,000 33.1%[62]–33.6%[23] 10,300,000
Canada (details) 42,000,000 21%[26]–29.9%[63] 8,500,000-12,600,000
Central African Republic (details) 3,799,897 28%[64] 949,974
Chad (details) 12,000,000 18%[65]–19.9%[23] 2,520,000
Chile (details) 20,000,000 45%[29]–46%[26]–53.7% (15+)[66][67] 9,000,000-10,700,000
China (details) 1,400,000,000 0.7%[38] 6,000,000[68][69]–12,000,000[70][69]
Colombia (details) 52,000,000 39.4%[22]–56.6%[29]–60%[26]–78.2%[71] 20,000,000–40,000,000
Comoros (details) 800,000 0%[23]–0.2%[38] 1,600
Congo, Republic of (details) 5,062,021 30.3%[23]–32%[72]–55%[72] 1,620,000–2,780,000
Congo, Democratic Republic of (details) 109,000,000 29.9%[73]–47.3%[74][75] 45,000,000[76]–51,000,000
Costa Rica (details) 5,100,000 47.5%[77][78]–52%[29][79] 2,400,000–2,650,000
Croatia (details) 3,872,000 79.4%[22]–83.2%[80] 3,240,000
Cuba (details) 11,163,934 51%[38]–60%[81] 6,000,000[82]
Cyprus (details) 923,381[83] 1.5%[83] 13,860[83]
Czech Republic (details) 10,524,167[84] 9.36%[84] 985,162[84]
Côte d'Ivoire (details) 23,800,000[85] 17%[86]–18.6%[23] 4,046,000
Denmark (details) 5,900,000[87] 1%[87] 58,000[88]
Djibouti (details) 476,703 0.2% 953
Dominica (details) 71,540 52.7%[89]–58.1%[38] 41,564
Dominican Republic (details) 10,400,000 43%[29]–57%[90] 4,992,000–5,928,000
East Timor (details) 1,248,705[91] 97.5%[91] 1,217,157[91]
Ecuador (details) 15,223,680 65%[29]–80.4%[92][93] 11,265,523
Equatorial Guinea (details) 1,620,000 88%[94] 1,425,000
Egypt (details) 107,000,000 0%[22]–0.2% 200,000[95]
El Salvador (details) 7,000,000 40%[29]–47%[96] 2,730,000–3,500,000
Eritrea (details) 4,561,599 3.3%[citation needed]–<5%[97] 150,532
Estonia (details) 1,114,030[98] 0.8%[98] 8,690[98]
Eswatini (details) 1,100,000 2.4%[23]–4.9%[38]–20%[99] 62,803
Ethiopia (details) 139,000,000 0.2%[22]–0.5%[57] 1,000,000
Federated States of Micronesia (details) 104,468 52.6%[100]–55%[101] 60,000
Fiji (details) 893,354 9.1%[102] 80,401
Finland (details) 5,600,000 0.3% [103] 16,734[104]
France (details) 69,000,000[105] 32%[22]–36%[26][45][46]–42%[106]–47%[107] 24,000,000–33,000,000
Gabon (details) 1,389,201 30.7%[23] 426,000
Gambia (details) 1,593,256 1%[23]–<3.5%[108] 16,000–<56,000
Georgia (details) 3,713,804[109] 0.5%[109]–1.3%[22] 19,200[109]
Germany (details) 83,550,000 21%[26]–23.0%[110][111] 19,220,000[111]
Ghana (details) 30,753,327[112] 6.5%[23]–10.0%[112]–11%[26] 3,071,844[112]
Greece (details) 10,413,982[113] 0.5%[22]–2.4% 250,000[114]
Grenada (details) 115,000 36%[115] 40,000
Guatemala (details) 15,773,000 39%[29]–45%[116]–48.9%[22] 7,000,000
Guinea (details) 9,467,866 4.8%[23] 454,000
Guinea-Bissau (details) 2,100,000[117] 17.9%[38]–22.2%[23] 370,000–470,000
Guyana (details) 746,955 7.1%[118] 53,034
Haiti (details) 10,000,000 55%[119]–56.7%[38]–56.8%[120] 5,470,000
Honduras (details) 8,800,000 36%[29] 3,256,000–4,048,000
Hungary (details) 9,877,000 29.2%[121]–32.6%[22]–56%[122]–62%[123]–63%[26] 2,808,000–6,123,740
Iceland (details) 394,324[124] 3.95%[124] 15,558[124]
India (details) 1,400,000,000 1.2%[22]–1.5%[125][126] 16,800,000–21,000,000
Indonesia (details) 270,000,000 3.07%[127] 8,861,999[127]
Iran (details) 85,202,000 0%[22]–0.03% 2000[128]–6000[128]–21,000[129]–22,000[130]
Iraq (details) 46,000,000[131] 0%[22]–0.2% 100,000[132]
Ireland (details) 5,100,000 69%[133] 3,500,000
Israel (details) 10,000,000[134] 1.2%[38] 120,000
Italy (details) 59,000,000 66.7%[135]–69%[26]–73.6%[22]–74%[136]–74.5%[137]–79%[138] 40,000,000–47,000,000
Jamaica (details) 2,697,983 2.2%[139] 59,356
Japan (details) 124,000,000 0.4%[22]–0.5%[140] 496,000–620,000
Jordan (details) 11,000,000[141] 0%[22]–0.4%[38] 44,000
Kazakhstan (details) 15,185,844 0.5%[22]–0.6% 91,115
Kenya (details) 47,560,000 17.9%[23]–20.6%[142]–26%[22]–30%[26] 9,797,000-14,268,000
Kiribati (details) 119,438[143] 58.9%[143] 70,333[143]
Korea, North (details) 22,912,177 0%–<0.1%[38] 800[144]
Korea, South (details) 53,121,668 6.8%[22]–7.9%[145][146]–8%[26]–11%[147]–11.3%[148] 5,914,669
Kosovo (details) 1,585,566[149] 1.75%[149] 27,815[149]
Kuwait (details) 3,200,000[150]–4,800,000[150] 8.5%[38] 272,000–408,000
Kyrgyzstan (details) 5,146,281 0.2%[22] 10,000
Laos (details) 6,217,141 0.5%[38] 30,000[38]–100,000[151]
Latvia (details) 1,800,000[152] 17.1%[22]–18%[152] 324,000
Lebanon (details) 5,300,000[153] 30.1%[22] 1,595,000
Lesotho (details) 2,116,427[154] 38.9%[23]–39%[155] 825,000
Liberia (details) 3,482,211 2.3%[23] 80,000
Libya (details) 5,765,563 0%[22]–0.7% 40,358
Liechtenstein (details) 40,000[156] 69.6%[157] 28,000
Lithuania (details) 2,900,000 74.2%[158] 2,200,000
Luxembourg (details) 690,000[159] 46%[160] 317,000
Madagascar (details) 18,040,341 38.1%[161]–41.7%[23] 7,890,000[161]
Malawi (details) 17,563,749[162] 17.2%[162][23] 3,028,435[162]
Malaysia (details) 34,671,895 0%[22]–4.61%[163]–4.7%[38] 1,330,000[38]–1,400,000[163]
Maldives (details) 349,106 0%[22]–0.02% 80
Mali (details) 12,291,529 0.5%[23] 61,000
Malta (details) 451,746[164] 82.6%[164] 373,304[164]
Marshall Islands (details) 62,000 8.5%[165] 5,208
Mauritania (details) 3,086,859 0.1%[23] 3,086
Mauritius (details) 1,233,097[166] 16.5%[23]–24.9%[166] 307,515[166]
Mexico (details) 130,000,000 67%[26]–68%[29]–77.7%[167][168][169] 87,000,000–101,000,000
Moldova (details) 2,409,200[170] 0.1%[170] 2,500[170]
Monaco (details) 38,000 82.3%[38] 30,000[38]
Mongolia (details) 3,300,000 0.04% 1,450[171]
Montenegro (details) 623,633[172] 3.27%[172] 20,408[172]
Morocco (details) 32,725,847 0%[22][23]–0.07% 22,908
Mozambique (details) 19,406,703 17.1%[23]–27%[173] 5,240,000–5,280,000
Myanmar (details) 42,909,464 0.5%[22] 215,000
Namibia (details) 3,000,000 18.9%[23]–20%[174][175] 600,000
Nauru (details) 11,680[176] 33.9%[176] 3,959[176]
  Nepal (details) 27,676,547 0.03% 8,302
Netherlands (details) 18,000,000 16%[177]–19.1%[178]–20%[26] 2,900,000–3,448,000[179][178]
New Zealand (details) 5,000,000 8.9%[180] 445,000
Nicaragua (details) 6,000,000 42.5%[22]–45%[181]–50%[90]–55%[182][183] 2,400,000–3,000,000
Niger (details) 11,665,937 0%[57]–<0.1%[38] 11,665
Nigeria (details) 230,000,000 5%[23]–10.6%[184]–15.4%[22]–16%[26] 24,400,000–29,000,000
North Macedonia (details) 1,836,713[185] 0.4%[185] 6,746[185]
Norway (details) 5,367,580 2.9%[22]–3%[186] 165,254[186]
Oman (details) 3,000,000 4.1%[38] 110,000
Pakistan (details) 241,500,000 0%[22]–0.8% 1,930,000
Palau (details) 17,614[187] 46.9%[187] 6,363[187]
Palestine (details) 3,761,904 2% 80,000
Panama (details) 3,500,000 52%[29]–63%[188] 1,820,000–2,200,000
Papua New Guinea (details) 7,000,000 26%[189][190] 1,820,000
Paraguay (details) 6,800,000 72%[29] 4,900,000
Peru (details) 34,300,000 64%[29]–67%[26]–76%[191][22] 26,725,000
Philippines (details) 114,000,000[192] 78.8%[193]–80%[26] 89,000,000
Poland (details) 38,496,000 71.1%[194]–85%[195]–92%[26] 27,332,000-35,400,000
Portugal (details) 10,343,066[196] 80.2%[197] 8,000,000
Qatar (details) 863,051 10.5% 350,000
Romania (details) 19,053,815[198] 4.5%[198] 856,961[198]
Russia (details) 143,500,000 0.1%[22]–<0.5%[199] 143,000–<717,000
Rwanda (details) 13,246,394[200] 39.91%[200] 5,286,600[200]
Saint Kitts and Nevis (details) 51,000 6.7% 3,400
Saint Lucia (details) 165,600 61.3% 101,500
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (details) 106,000 7.5% 7,950
Samoa (details) 205,557[201] 18%[201] 36,906[201]
San Marino (details) 32,500 86.2[202]–90.5%[38] 28,000
São Tomé and Príncipe (details) 200,000 51.4%[23]–54%[203]–55.7[204] 120,000
Saudi Arabia (details) 26,417,599 2.5%–3.8% 660,439
Senegal (details) 11,126,832 2.4%[23]–<2.7%[205] <300,000
Serbia (details) 6,647,003[206] 3.9%[206] 257,269[206]
Seychelles (details) 102,612[207] 61.3%[207]–76.6%[23] 62,952[207]
Sierra Leone (details) 6,017,643 3.4%[23] 200,000
Singapore (details) 3,459,093[208] 7%[208] 242,681[208]
Slovakia (details) 5,450,000 59.8%[209] 3,038,511
Slovenia (details) 2,116,972[210] 56.6%[22]–57.8%[211]–69.92%[210] 1,480,156[210]
Solomon Islands (details) 720,956[212] 20%[212] 144,078[212]
Somalia (details) 8,591,629 0.001%[citation needed]–<0.1%[38] 100
South Africa (details) 60,000,000 3.1%[23]–6.8%[213]–9%[26][214] 4,080,000
South Sudan (details) 10,000,000 39.7%[38][215] 3,950,000[215]
Spain (details) 49,800,000[216] 47%[26]–54.8%[217] 23,400,000–27,000,000
Sri Lanka (details) 20,264,000 6.1%[218] 1,237,000
Sudan (details) 31,000,000 0%[57]–1%[citation needed]–3%[38] 300,000
Suriname (details) 551,000 21.6%[219] 119,000
Sweden (details) 10,600,000[220] 1%[26] 106,000–126,286[221]
 Switzerland (details) 9,000,000 30.0%[222] 2,700,000
Syria (details) 23,900,000[223] 1%[224] 239,000
Taiwan (details) 23,600,000[225] 1.4%[225]–1.6%[22] 330,000
Tajikistan (details) 7,163,506 0%[22]–0.01% <1,000[38]
Tanzania (details) 67,462,000[226] 19.3%[23]–25.6%[227] 13,000,000–17,270,000
Thailand (details) 69,000,000 0.5%[22]–0.58%[228][229] 388,468[230][231]
Togo (details) 5,681,519 20.2%[23]–25%[232] 1,420,000
Tonga (details) 102,000 13.7%[233] 13,649
Trinidad and Tobago (details) 1,330,000 21.6%[234] 286,000
Tunisia (details) 11,000,000 0%[23]–0.1%[22] 11,000
Turkey (details) 86,000,000[235] 0%[22]–0.05% 27,000[236]–50,000[38]
Turkmenistan (details) 4,750,000 0.01%[237] 500
Tuvalu (details) 11,600[238] 0.5%[38] 50
Uganda (details) 49,000,000 39.3%[239][240]–40.8%[23] 19,200,000–22,000,000
Ukraine (details) 41,000,000[241] 7.6%[22]–8.2%[242]–9%[243]–10%[244]–12.2%[245] 3,362,000–5,002,000
United Arab Emirates (details) 2,563,212 5% 128,160
United Kingdom (details) 63,100,000 9%[246][247][248][249]–11%[26] 5,700,000-6,930,000
United States (details) 341,000,000[250] 19%[251]-20%[252] –22%[253][254] 65,000,000–75,000,000
Uruguay (details) 3,500,000 11.3%[22]–33%[29] 1,330,000
Uzbekistan (details) 26,851,195 0.01%–0.2%[22] 2,685
Vatican City (details) 842 100% 842
Vanuatu (details) 293,963[255] 12.11%[255] 35,602[255]
Venezuela (details) 32,000,000 64.2%[22]–71%[256]–72%[29]–73%[90] 20,000,000–23,360,000
Vietnam (details) 104,800,000[257] 4.4%[22]–6.1%[258]–6.6%[257] 5,866,000[258]–7,000,000[257]
Western Sahara (details) 273,008 0.06% 163
Yemen (details) 20,727,063 0.02% 4,145
Zambia (details) 18,340,343[259] 17.56%[259]–22.4%[23] 3,220,214[259]
Zimbabwe (details) 15,178,957[260] 6.4%[260][261]–8.4%[23] 975,488[260]
Total 8,000,000,000[262][263] 13.57%–17.68% 1,085,600,000–1,420,400,000
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By dependent territory

More information Territory, Total population ...
Catholic Church by territory
Territory Total population % Catholic Catholic total
U.S. Virgin Islands (details) 104,377[264] 27.1%[264] 28,000
Anguilla (details) 13,572[265] 6.8%[265] 920[265]
Aruba (details) 101,484 75.3%[266] 76,464
Bermuda (details) 64,237[267] 14.5%[267] 9,340[267]
British Virgin Islands (details) 28,054[268] 8.9%[268] 2,492[268]
Cayman Islands (details) 68,811[269] 13.6%[269] 9,348[269]
Cook Islands (details) 14,987[270] 16.7%[270] 2,500[270]
Curaçao (details) 142,180 72.8%[271] 103,507
Falkland Islands (details) 3,000 10% 300
French Guiana (details) 221,500 75% 166,500
Greenland (details) 55,984 0.2%[38] 111
Guadeloupe (details) 405,500 85.2%[271] 345,486
Guam (details) 154,623 85%[271] 131,430
Northern Mariana Islands (details) 51,659 64.1%[271] 33,113
Hong Kong (details) 7,409,800 4.1%[22]–5.3% 394,000[272]
Martinique (details) 390,000 80% 312,000
Macau (details) 650,000 4.4%[22]–4.6%[273] 30,000
New Caledonia (details) 249,000 60.2%[271] 150,000
Puerto Rico (details) 3,019,450[274] 49.2%[22]–56%[275][274] 1,485,000–1,691,000
Réunion (details) 839,500 79.7%[276] 669,249
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (details) 6,025 93%[38] 5,600
Turks and Caicos Islands (details) 22,352 11.4%[271] 2,548
Wallis and Futuna (details) 14,231 95.8% 13,631
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