how many catholics are in the world

The global Catholic population as of 2023 is approximately 1.406 billion people. This reflects a 1.15% increase from about 1.39 billion in 2022. Africa has seen the most significant growth, with its Catholic population rising by 3.31% to 281 million, representing 20% of the world's Catholics. The Americas remain the region with the largest share, accounting for 47.8% of Catholics globally, with Brazil alone having 182 million Catholics. Asia holds about 11% of the global Catholic population, while Europe accounts for around 20.4%, showing very modest growth. Oceania has just over 11 million Catholics