Africa now has more Catholics than Europe
Vatican figures put Africa at 288 million Catholics, just ahead of Europe's 287 million. Africa added 7.58 million in a year, more than any other continent.
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Vatican City — Africa has overtaken Europe in the number of Catholics, according to the Vatican's latest statistics, Africanews reports.
The figures, published by the Vatican's Fides news agency and covering the period to June 2024, show:
- Africa: 288 million Catholics
- Europe: 287 million
- The Americas: nearly 679 million, still the largest
- Worldwide: 1.422 billion, up by almost 16.7 million
Africa also grew faster than anywhere else, adding 7.58 million Catholics in the year, against nearly 7 million in the Americas.
The number of priests worldwide rose by 425 to more than 407,000, while the numbers of women religious and of major seminarians continued to fall.
Source: Africanews, 16 October 2026, citing the Vatican's Fides news agency.
