Almost half (48%) of the world’s Catholics live in the Americas, with 28% located in South America.
The numbers of bishops worldwide saw a minute decline, from 5,364 in 2019 to 5,363 in 2020.
At the end of 2020, there were a total of 410,219 priests, a decrease of 4,117 compared to 2019. Although there was a fall in the number of priests in North America and Europe, there was a “significant increase” in Africa and Asia, reported Vatican News.
In 2020, around 40% of the world’s priests lived in Europe, 29% in the Americas, 17% in Asia, 12% in Africa, and 1% in Oceania.
The number of Catholics per priest worldwide rose from 3,245 in 2019 to 3,314 in 2020. In Europe, there was an average of 1,746 Catholics per priest, 2,086 in the Americas, and 5,089 in Africa.
There was an increase in permanent deacons, from 48,238 in 2019 to 48,635 in 2020. The number in Europe dipped slightly from 15,267 to 15,170.
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