|
Special
Feature for Mission Sunday 2010
CATHOLIC CHURCH STATISTICS
FIDES
News Service
WORLD
POPULATION – CATHOLICS
PERSONS
/CATHOLICS PER PRIEST
ECCLESIASTICAL
CIRCUMSCRIPTIONS – MISSION STATIONS
BISHOPS
PRIESTS
PERMANENT DEACONS
RELIGIOUS MEN AND WOMEN, MEMBERS OF SECULAR
INSTITUTES
LAY MISSIONARIES, CATECHISTS
MAJOR SEMINARIANS – DIOCESAN AND RELIGIOUS
MINOR SEMINARIANS – DIOCESAN AND RELIGIOUS
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS AND PUPILS
CATHOLIC INSTITUTES FOR HEALTHCARE, SOCIAL
ASSISTANCE, CHARITY WORK
CIRCUMSCRIPTIONS
DEPENDENT ON THE
CONGREGATION
FOR THE EVANGELISATION OF PEOPLES
OVERALL WORLD PICTURE
CATHOLIC
CHURCH STATISTICS
Vatican City (Fides Service) – As every year in
the month of October, in view of World Mission Sunday, this
year celebrated on Sunday, October 24, Fides News Service
offers, with the help of a few statistics, a panorama of
Catholic missionary activity all over the world. Tables
regarding members of the Church, church structures in the
fields of pastoral care, healthcare, education and
assistance are taken from the latest edition of the
Church’s Book of Statistics (updated 31 December 2008).
Please note that variations, increase or decrease, emerging from our
own comparison with last year's figures, are marked increase
+ or decrease –. in brackets
World population
On 31 December 2008
the world population was 6,698,353,000
with an increase
of 81,256,000 persons compared with the previous year.
Population growth
was registered on every continent including Europe, as it
was noted in the previous year: Africa (+ 29,674,000);
America (+ 5,687,000); Asia (+ 42,914,000); Oceania (+
670,000); Europe (+ 2,311,000).
Catholics
On the same date Catholics in the world numbered 1,165,714,000 with an overall increase
of 19.058.000 more than the previous year, in every
continent as follows: Africa (+ 8,025,000); America (+
7,579,000); Asia (+ 3,152,000); Europe (+ 193,000); Oceania
(+ 109,000).
The world percentage of Catholics increased
by 0.07 %, settling at 17.40%; by continent: increases
were registered in Africa (+ 0.29); America (+ 0.44); Asia
(+ 0.05), while decrease was shown in Europe (- 0.1) and
Oceania (0.2)
Persons and Catholics per
priest
This year the number of persons
per priest in the world increased
by 136 units,
(average 13,015).
The distribution by continent: increase
in Africa (+ 105), Europe (+ 43), and Oceania (+ 28), and
decrease in America (- 18) and Asia (- 402).
The number of Catholics
per priest in the world increased
by 39 units (average 2,849).
There are increases
on every continent except Oceania: Africa (+ 98); America (+
37); Asia (+ 10); Europe (+ 14); Oceania (- 8).
Ecclesiastical
circumscriptions and mission stations
The number of ecclesiastical
circumscriptions increased
by 9 to 2,945 with new circumscriptions created in: Africa +2; America +4;
Asia +1; Europe +2. Mission stations with
a resident priest number 1,665
(649 more than in the previous year) and are increasing on
all the continents except Oceania.
Mission Stations without
a resident priest increased in number
by 847 units, to 125,489.
Increases were
registered in Africa (+ 747), Asia (+ 539), Europe (+ 45),
while in America (- 463) and Oceania (- 21) they decreased.
Bishops
The
number of bishops in the world increased
by 56 units, to 5,002.
Every continent, except Oceania -4, registered an increase. The increase in numbers
regard both diocesan and religious Bishops:
Diocesan
bishops number 3,786
(57 more than in the previous year); Religious Bishops number 1,216
(1 less). The increase in diocesan bishops is registered in:
Africa (+ 14), America (+ 32), Asia (+ 8), Europe (+ 7),
while the only decrease has been in Oceania (- 4). The
number of religious Bishops increased in Europe (+4),
whereas the number dropped in Africa (-2) and America (-3),
with no variations in Asia and Oceania.
priests
The
total number of priests in the world increased
by 1,142 units, to 409,166.
The only continents which registered a decrease was again
Europe (-1,664), whereas figures grew in Africa (+ 953),
America (+ 659), Asia (+ 1.120), and Oceania (+ 74).
Diocesan priests increased
by 1,576 units, reaching a total of 274,007
with increases in
Africa (+ 821), America (+ 811), Asia (+ 746), and Oceania
(+ 67) and a drop in Europe (- 869). The number of Religious
priests decreased
by 434 units to a total 135,159.
Increases were registered as in recent years in Africa (+
132) and Asia (+ 374), along with Oceania (+ 7) whereas
numbers dropped in America (- 152) and Europe (- 795).
permanent
deacons
Permanent
deacons increased by
1,261 units to 37,203.
The highest increase was registered again in America (+ 774)
and in Europe (+ 481), followed by Africa (+ 9) and Oceania
(+ 17), the only decrease being in Asia (- 20).. Diocesan
Permanent deacons number 36,539,
with increases on
all continents except Asia (- 3) (total increase
1,242 units): Africa (+ 5), America (+ 749), Europe (+
474) and Oceania (+ 17).
Religious
permanent deacons number 664,
with an increase of 19 units more than in the previous year,
with increases in Africa (+ 4), America (+ 25), and Europe
(+ 7), decrease in Asia (- 17) and no variation in Oceania.
men
and women religious
The
number of Brothers
dropped by 315 units to 54,641.
Situation: increase in Africa (+ 95), America (+ 232), and Asia (+ 69). The
only decreases
were registered in Oceania (- 115) and Europe (- 596). An
overall decrease in the number of women religious (– 7,746), today 739,068,
was registered by continent as follows: increase
in Africa (+ 1,845) and Asia (+ 2,170), decrease in
America (– 3,452), Europe (- 8,167) and Oceania (– 142).
members
of secular institutes, male and female
Members
of male secular institutes number 743
with an overall increase of 78 units. On a continental level,
the situation is the opposite of what it was last year, when
the numbers increased
only in Europe whereas now they have diminished in Europe (-
33), in Oceania it has remained the same with only one
member of a secular institute, and numbers have increased in
Africa (+ 35), America (+ 57), and Asia (+ 19).
The
members of female secular institutes decreased again this
year, by 132 units to a total of 26,646
members. The only increase was seen in Africa (+ 194),
while all the other continents saw a decrease: America (-
158), Asia (- 57), Europe (- 426), and Oceania (- 1).
lay
missionaries and catechists
The
number of lay missionaries in the world is 316,836
units, with an overall increase of 66,372 units. They have
increased on all the continents except Oceania (- 50):
Africa (+ 911), America (+ 57,955), Asia (+ 7,315), and
Europe (+ 241).
Catechists
in the world increased by 89,208 units to a total of 3,082,562.
Numbers grew in Africa (+ 7,318), America (+ 82,846), and
Europe (+ 10,617), but dropped in Asia (- 11,011) and
Oceania (- 562).
major
seminarians
The
overall number of major seminarians, diocesan and religious,
rose again, increasing by 1,105 units to 117,024.
Numbers grew once again this year in Africa (+ 878), Asia (+
1,380), and Oceania (+ 64), but dropped once again in
America (- 267) and Europe (- 950).
Diocesan
major seminarians number 71,176
(49 less than the
previous year) but Religious major seminarians increased to 45,848
(+1,154). Diocesan seminarians increased in Africa (+ 470),
Asia (+ 412), and Oceania (+ 75), but decreased in America
(- 278), and Europe (- 728).
Religious
Seminarians increased in Africa (+ 408), America (+ 11), and
Asia (+ 968). Numbers decreased in Europe (- 222) and
Oceania (- 11).
minor
seminarians
The
number of minor seminarians, diocesan and religious,
increased by 382 units, to 102,360.
Numbers grew in Africa (+ 1,350) and Asia (+ 281) and
decreased in America (- 591), Europe (- 578), and Oceania (-
80). Diocesan minor seminarians number 77,987 (+ 842), whereas religious seminarians number 24,373
(- 460). The number of diocesan minor seminarians has
decreased in America (- 136), Europe (- 357), and Oceania (-
92), but has increased in Africa (+ 1,102) and Asia (+ 325).
Religious minor seminarians decreased in number in America
(- 455), Asia (- 44), and Europe (- 221) and are increasing
in Africa (+ 248) and Oceania (+ 12).
Catholic
schools
In
the field of education, the Catholic Church runs 67,848
kindergartens with 6,383,910 pupils; 93,315
primary schools with 30,520,238 pupils; 42,234 secondary
schools with 17,758,405 pupils. The Church also cares for
1,968,828 high school pupils, and 3,088,208 university
students.
Catholic charity and healthcare
centres
The
Church runs 5,428
hospitals most of them in America (1,717) and Europe (1,288); 18,025
dispensaries mainly in America (5,516), Africa (5,375) and Asia
(3,547); 529 Care Homes for people with Leprosy mainly in Asia (285) and Africa
(184); 15,985 Homes for the elderly, or the chronically ill or people with a
disability mainly in Europe (8,265) and America (4,143); 9,962 orphanages, about one third in Asia (3,437); 11,902
creches; 13,945 marriage counselling centres mainly in Europe (5,991) and
America (5,044); 34,250
social rehabilitation centres and 10,800
other kinds of institutions, mostly located in America
(4,285), Europe (2,937), and Asia (2,009).
STATISTICS
Source:
Church’s Yearly Book of Statistics latest edition
elaborated
by Fides
in
brackets variations compared with previous year:
increase (+) decrease (-)
WORLD
POPULATION – CATHOLICS
|
Continent
|
Population
|
Catholics
|
Percentage
|
|
Africa
|
973,417,000
(+ 29,674,000)
|
172,950,000
(+ 8,025,000)
|
17.77
% (+ 0.29)
|
|
America
|
913,080,000
(+ 5,687,000)
|
576,149,000
(+ 7,579,000)
|
63.10
% (+ 0.44)
|
|
Asia
|
4,067,884,000
(+ 42,914,000)
|
124,046,000
(+ 3,152,000)
|
3.05
% (+ 0.05)
|
|
Europe
|
709,109,000
(+ 2,311,000)
|
283,433,000
(+ 193,000)
|
39.97
% (- 0.1)
|
|
Oceania
|
34,863,000
(+ 670,000)
|
9,136,000
(+ 109,000)
|
26.23
% (- 0.2 )
|
|
Total
|
6,698,353,000
(+ 81,256,000)
|
1,165,714.000
(+ 19,058,000)
|
17.40%
(+ 0.07)
|
PERSONS
/CATHOLICS PER PRIEST
|
Continent
|
persons per
priest
|
Catholics per
priest
|
|
Africa
|
27,335
(+ 105)
|
4,857
(+ 98)
|
|
America
|
7,451
(- 18)
|
4,717
(+ 37)
|
|
Asia
|
50,030
(- 402)
|
2,300
(+ 10)
|
|
Europe
|
3,679
(+ 43)
|
1,471
(+ 14)
|
|
Oceania
|
7,340
(+ 28)
|
1,923
(- 8)
|
|
Total
|
13,015
(+ 136)
|
2,849
(+ 39)
|
ECCLESIASTICAL
CIRCUMSCRIPTIONS– MISSION STATIONS
|
Continent
|
Ecclesiastical
Circumscriptions
|
Mission
Stations
with
resident priest
|
Mission
Stations
without
resident priest
|
|
Africa
|
518
(+ 2)
|
284
(+ 36)
|
71,552
(+ 747)
|
|
America
|
1,076
(+ 4)
|
119
(+ 14)
|
12,205
(- 463)
|
|
Asia
|
524
(+ 1)
|
1,066
(+ 488)
|
41,105
(+ 539)
|
|
Europe
|
748
(+ 2)
|
147
(+ 112)
|
109
(+ 45)
|
|
Oceania
|
79
(=)
|
49
(- 1)
|
518
(- 21)
|
|
total
|
2,945
(+ 9)
|
1,665
(+ 649)
|
125,489
(+ 847)
|
BISHOPS
|
Continent
|
Total bishops
|
diocesan
bishops
|
Religious
bishops
|
|
Africa
|
669
(+ 12)
|
488
(+ 14)
|
181
(- 2)
|
|
America
|
1,876
(+ 29)
|
1,310
(+ 32)
|
566
(- 3)
|
|
Asia
|
740
(+ 8)
|
547
(+ 8)
|
193
(=)
|
|
Europe
|
1,587
(+ 11)
|
1,356
(+ 7)
|
231
(+ 4)
|
|
Oceania
|
130
(- 4)
|
85
(- 4)
|
45
(=)
|
|
total
|
5,002
(+ 56)
|
3,786
(+ 57)
|
1,216
(- 1)
|
PRIESTS
|
Continent
|
Total priests
|
Diocesan
priests
|
Religious
priests
|
|
Africa
|
35,611
(+ 953)
|
23,975
(+ 821)
|
11,636
(+ 132)
|
|
America
|
122,154
(+ 659)
|
80,465
(+ 811)
|
41,689
(- 152)
|
|
Asia
|
53,922 (+ 1,120)
|
31,737 (+ 746)
|
22,185 (+ 374)
|
|
Europe
|
192,729
(- 1,664)
|
135,102
(- 869)
|
57,627
(- 795)
|
|
Oceania
|
4,750
(+ 74)
|
2,728
(+ 67)
|
2,022
(+ 7)
|
|
total
|
409,166
(+ 1,142)
|
274,007
(+ 1,576)
|
135,159
(- 434)
|
PERMANENT
DEACONS
|
Continent
|
Total
permanent
deacons
|
Diocesan
Permanent
deacons
|
Religious
Permanent
deacons
|
|
Africa
|
412
(+ 9)
|
386
(+ 5)
|
26
(+ 4)
|
|
America
|
24,030
(+ 774)
|
23,749
(+ 749)
|
281
(+ 25)
|
|
Asia
|
143
(- 20)
|
115
(- 3)
|
28
(- 17)
|
|
Europe
|
12,329
(+ 481)
|
12,003
(+ 474)
|
326
(+ 7)
|
|
Oceania
|
289
(+ 17)
|
286
(+ 17)
|
3
(=)
|
|
total
|
37,203
(+ 1,261 )
|
36,539
(+ 1,242)
|
664
(+ 19)
|
BROTHERS
AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS
|
Continent
|
Brothers
|
Women
Religious
|
|
|
Africa
|
8,016
(+ 95)
|
63,731
(+ 1,845)
|
|
America
|
16,987
(+ 232)
|
203,057
(- 3,452)
|
|
Asia
|
10,110
(+ 69)
|
160,862
(+ 2,170)
|
|
Europe
|
18,097
(- 596)
|
301,971
(- 8,167)
|
|
Oceania
|
1,431
(- 115)
|
9,447
(- 142)
|
|
total
|
54,641
(- 315)
|
739,068
(- 7,746)
|
MEMBERS
OF SECULAR INSTITUTES
|
Continent
|
Members of
secular institutes
Male
|
Members of
secular institutes
Female
|
|
Africa
|
76
(+ 35)
|
731
(+ 194)
|
|
America
|
250
(+ 57)
|
5,896
(- 158)
|
|
Asia
|
43
(+ 19)
|
1,669
(- 57)
|
|
Europe
|
373
(- 33)
|
18,308
(- 426)
|
|
Oceania
|
1
(=)
|
42
(- 1)
|
|
total
|
743
(+ 78)
|
26,646
(- 132)
|
LAY
MISSIONARIES AND CATECHISTS
|
Continent
|
Lay
missionaries
|
Catechists
|
|
Africa
|
4,501
(+ 911)
|
407,250
(+ 7,318)
|
|
America
|
287,594
(+ 57,955)
|
1,806,130
(+ 82,846)
|
|
Asia
|
19,771
(+ 7,315)
|
301,542
(- 11,011)
|
|
Europe
|
4,663
(+ 241)
|
552,445
(+ 10,617)
|
|
Oceania
|
307
(- 50)
|
15,195
(- 562)
|
|
total
|
316,836
(+ 66,372)
|
3,082,562
(+ 89,208)
|
MAJOR
SEMINARIANS – DIOCESAN AND RELIGIOUS
|
Continent
|
Total
Major
seminarians
|
Diocesan
Major
seminarians
|
Religious
Major
seminarians
|
|
Africa
|
25,607
(+ 878)
|
17,124
(+ 470)
|
8,483
(+ 408)
|
|
America
|
36,502
(- 267)
|
24,567
(- 278)
|
11,935
(+ 11)
|
|
Asia
|
32,677
(+ 1,380)
|
15,378
(+ 412)
|
17,299
(+ 968)
|
|
Europe
|
21,193
(- 950)
|
13,399
(- 728)
|
7,794
(- 222)
|
|
Oceania
|
1,045
(+ 64)
|
708
(+ 75)
|
337
(- 11)
|
|
total
|
117,024
(+ 1,105)
|
71,176
(- 49)
|
45,848
(+ 1,154)
|
MINOR
SEMINARIANS – DIOCESAN AND
RELIGIOUS
|
Continent
|
total
minor
seminarians
|
diocesan
minor
seminarians
|
religious
minor
seminarians
|
|
Africa
|
50,162
(+ 1,350)
|
44,155
(+ 1,102)
|
6,007
(+ 248)
|
|
America
|
15,391
(- 591)
|
10,837
(- 136)
|
4,554
(- 455)
|
|
Asia
|
24,319
(+ 281)
|
15,442
(+ 325)
|
8,877
(- 44)
|
|
Europe
|
12,235
(- 578)
|
7,341
(- 357)
|
4,894
(- 221)
|
|
Oceania
|
253
(- 80)
|
212
(- 92)
|
41
(+ 12)
|
|
Total
|
102,360
(+ 382)
|
77,987
(+ 842)
|
24,373
(- 460)
|
SCHOOLS
AND PUPILS
|
|
INFANT
schools
|
children
|
PRIMARY
schools
|
pupils
|
SECONDARY
schools
|
PUPILS
|
High
school
pupils
|
UNIVERSITY
Pupils
|
|
Africa
|
12,689
|
1,308,053
|
34,162
|
14,525,493
|
10,536
|
3,753,688
|
68,782
|
88,822
|
|
America
|
15,764
|
1,564,089
|
22,906
|
7,280,689
|
10,753
|
4,734,636
|
589,785
|
2,102,749
|
|
Asia
|
14,172
|
1,643,926
|
16,236
|
5,056,201
|
9,903
|
5,002,075
|
1,046,031
|
544,526
|
|
Europe
|
23,611
|
1,763,780
|
17,109
|
3,014,405
|
10,345
|
3,867,747
|
253,812
|
341,482
|
|
Oceania
|
1,612
|
104,062
|
2,902
|
643,450
|
697
|
400,259
|
10,418
|
10,629
|
|
total
|
67,848
|
6,383,910
|
93,315
|
30,520,238
|
42,234
|
17,758,405
|
1,968,828
|
3,088,208
|
HOSPITALS/CLINICS,
CHARITY WORK, WELFARE
|
Continent
|
hospitals
|
Dispensaries
|
Leprosy
centres
|
Homes
for the elderly, chronically ill, disabled
|
orphanages
|
Nursery
schools
|
Marriage
Counselling
centres,
|
other
institutes
|
total
|
|
Africa
|
1,137
|
5,375
|
184
|
834
|
1,285
|
2,038
|
1,673
|
2,882
|
1,364
|
|
America
|
1,717
|
5,516
|
45
|
4,143
|
2,679
|
3,867
|
5,044
|
14,374
|
4,285
|
|
Asia
|
1,130
|
3,547
|
285
|
2,234
|
3,437
|
3,374
|
1,000
|
5,353
|
2,009
|
|
Europe
|
1,288
|
3,004
|
12
|
8,265
|
2,448
|
2,507
|
5,991
|
10,979
|
2,937
|
|
Oceania
|
156
|
583
|
3
|
509
|
113
|
116
|
237
|
662
|
205
|
|
total
|
5,428
|
18,025
|
529
|
15,985
|
9,962
|
11,902
|
13,945
|
34,250
|
10,800
|
ECCLESIASTICAL
CIRCUMSCRIPTIONS DEPENDENT ON THE
CONGREGATION
FOR THE EVANGELISATION OF PEOPLES
Vatican
City (Agenzia Fides) – The Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples is
at the service of the Holy Father the Pope as the “central
body for promoting, directing and co-ordinating” the
activity of evangelisation of peoples and missionary
cooperation throughout the
world (cfr, Ad gentes, 29; Pastor bonus, 85),
The
Church down through the centuries, in obedience to the
command received from Christ, has always proclaimed the
Gospel to all peoples. In order to fulfil her missionary
duty, in the face of growing demand for evangelisation in
the 16th century, the Church set up special
structures. In 1622 Pope Gregory XV instituted the “Sacred
Congregation de Propaganda Fide”, with the task of
“preaching and proclaiming the Gospel and Catholic
doctrine in all missions”, giving the Congregation
decision making powers to guarantee rapidity and
effectiveness. In 1627 Pope Urban VIII founded the Urban
College of Propaganda Fide for the formation of secular
clergy for the mission and the Tipografia Poliglotta (Printing
Press) to print documents and books in many different
languages.
With
the apostolic constitution Pastor bonus, Pope John Paul II
confirmed the general principle of jurisdiction laid down by
the Second Vatican Council (cfr. Ad gentes, 29), which
states: “The Congregation has the task of directing and
co-ordinating activity for the evangelisation of peoples and
for missionary cooperation” (85),
The
main duties of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of
Peoples include: ensure fair distribution of missionaries;
formation for local secular clergy and catechists; involve
Religious Institutes, Mission Societies, and local Churches
in the task of evangelising mission territories.
Latest details (12 October
2010) of Ecclesiastical Circumscriptions under the care of
the
Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples
(CEP) :
The
CEP is responsible for a total number of 1,098
Ecclesiastical
Circumscriptions
|
Continent
|
AD
|
D
|
AT
|
VA
|
PA
|
M
|
AA
|
OM
|
TOTAL
|
|
Africa
|
87
|
379
|
-
|
17
|
8
|
1
|
-
|
3
|
495
|
|
America
|
7
|
31
|
-
|
45
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
85
|
|
Asia
|
76
|
335
|
1
|
16
|
35
|
3
|
4
|
2
|
472
|
|
Oceania
|
11
|
31
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
2
|
-
|
1
|
46
|
|
TOTAL
|
181
|
776
|
1
|
78
|
44
|
8
|
4
|
6
|
1098
|
KEY:
archdiocese (AD), diocese (D), territorial abbacy (AT),
apostolic vicariate (VA), apostolic prefecture (PA),
apostolic administration (AA), Mission sui juris (M),
military Ordinariate (OM)
Special
Feature prepared by S.L. - Fides News Service 19 October
2010
|
آمین