In advance of the Holy Fathers September 22-25, 2018 apostolic journey, the Vatican presents the Statistics of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia as of December 31, 2016 (from the Central Office for Church Statistics)
Table 1 – Population and ecclesiastical structure
Table 2 – People engaged in activities of the apostolate
Table 3 – Indicators of pastoral workload
Table 4 – Priestly Vocations
Table 5 – Educational centers owned/managed by ecclesiastics or religious
Table 6 – Charitable and social centers owned/managed by ecclesiastics or religious
The following are some statistical data relating to the situation of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as of 31 December 2016:
Table 1 – Population and ecclesiastical structure
Lithuania | Latvia | Estonia | |
Area (km2) | 65,200 | 64,600 | 45,100 |
Population (in thousands) | 3,243 | 1,980 | 1,316 |
Density (inhabitants/km2) | 50 | 31 | 29 |
Catholics (in thousands) | 2,590 | 413 | 6 |
Catholics per 100 inhabitants | 79.9 | 20.9 | 0.5 |
Ecclesiastical circumscriptions | 8 | 4 | 1 |
Parishes | 712 | 263 | 9 |
Other pastoral centres | 227 | 22 | 6 |
Catholics per pastoral centre | 2,758 | 1,449 | 400 |
Table 2 – People engaged in activities of the apostolate
Lithuania | Latvia | Estonia | |
Bishops (situation at 31.07.2018) | 17 | 8 | 1 |
Diocesan priests | 708 | 138 | 15 |
Religious priests | 101 | 28 | 2 |
Total priests | 809 | 166 | 17 |
Permanent deacons | 3 | 1 | – |
Men religious (other than priests) | 20 | – | – |
Professed women religious | 557 | 99 | 30 |
Members of secular Institutes | 11 | 12 | – |
Lay missionaries | – | 64 | 12 |
Catechists | 930 | 270 | 5 |
Table 3 – Indicators of pastoral workload
Lithuania | Latvia | Estonia | |
Catholics per priest | 3,202 | 2,488 | 353 |
Catholics per pastoral worker | 1,104 | 666 | 92 |
Priests per pastoral centre | 0.86 | 0.58 | 1.13 |
Priests per 100 people engaged in activities of the apostolate | 35.2 | 28.1 | 27.7 |
Table 4 – Priestly Vocations
Lithuania | Latvia | Estonia | |
Minor seminarians | 2 | – | – |
Major seminarians | 44 | 12 | 7 |
Major seminarians per 100,000 inhabitants |
1.36 | 0.61 | 0.53 |
Major seminarians per 100,000 Catholics | 1.70 | 2.90 | 116.7 |
Major seminarians per 100 priests | 5.44 | 7.23 | 41.18 |
Table 5 – Educational centers owned/managed by ecclesiastics or religious
Lithuania | Latvia | Estonia | |
Schools: | |||
Pre-school and primary | 135 | 6 | 3 |
Lower middle and secondary | 331 | 3 | – |
Higher and university | 9 | 1 | – |
Students in: | |||
Pre-school and primary schools | 21,570 | 532 | 517 |
Lower middle and secondary schools | 84,321 | 96 | – |
Higher and university institutes | 8,807 | 53 | – |
Table 6 – Charitable and social centers owned/managed by ecclesiastics or religious
Lithuania | Latvia | Estonia | |
Hospitals | 3 | – | – |
Clinics | – | – | – |
Leper colonies | – | – | – |
Homes for the elderly and disabled | 26 | 1 | – |
Orphanages and nurseries | 29 | – | – |
Family consultation centers | 48 | 2 | – |
Special centers of social education or rehabilitation | 4 | 2 | – |
Other institutions | 88 | – | – |