The number of Catholics in the world is increasing: almost 1.3 billion, 17.7 percent of the world’s population, reported Agenzia Fides on October 20, 2017. Agenzia Fides is the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
According to figures from the Church’s Book of Statistics (data related to 2015) and elaborated by Agenzia Fides, the baptized are 12.5 million more than the previous year (2014). This is one of the data in the Dossier published by Agenzia Fides on the occasion of the 91st World Mission Day, which is celebrated on Sunday, October 22, 2017.
The Dossier offers a wealth of statistical information about the Catholic Church around the world.
DOSSIER FIDES STATISTICS 2017 ENG
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A few statistics of interest:
- Africa has 222 million Catholics, 19.42 percent of the population.
- The Americas have 635 million Catholics, 63.6 percent of the population.
- Europe has 285 million Catholics, 39.87 percent of the population.
- Asia has 141 million Catholic, 3.24 percent of the population.
- The Catholic Church runs 216,548 schools in the world, attended by more than 60 million pupils.
- There are about 118,000 Catholic social and charitable institutes (hospitals, care homes for people with leprosy, orphanages, homes for the elderly) scattered throughout the world.
