15 million more Catholics after the pandemic, their total number reaches 1,359 million

Almost two out of every 10 inhabitants of the planet profess the Catholic religion The number of priests and nuns continues to fall but the faithful rise, especially in America and Africa The pandemic has made many people see the religious light, according to the ‘Statistical Yearbook of the Church’, published by Agenzia Fides, the number of Catholics increased to 1,359 million in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, 15 million more than in 2019. They account for 17.73% of the world population. The statistics, updated on December 31, 2020, reveal increases in Catholics in Africa (5,290,000 more), America (6,463,000 more), Asia (2,731,000 more) and Europe (734,000 more). Although the yearbook shows that the total number of priests in the world it has decreased to 410,219, that is, 4,117 less. The greatest decrease occurred in Europe, with 4,374 fewer, followed by America (1,421 fewer) and Oceania (104 fewer), while Africa and Asia registered an increase, with 1,004 and 778 more, respectively. For their part, the number of bishops was 5,363 in 2020, one less than in 2019. Fewer priests and nuns, especially in Europe, also confirms the downward trend in the number of religious, which fell to 619,546, 10,553 less than the year previous, being the continents of Europe (8,852 less), America (4,326 less) and Oceania (242 less) where this decrease was noted, compared to increases in Africa (2,503 more) and Asia (364 more). In addition, the members of the feminine secular Institutes were 19,966 in 2020, which represents a decrease of 947 people; and the members of the male secular Institutes, 583, one more. On the other hand, permanent deacons increased by 397, to 48,635, and non-priest religious, by 274, to 50,569. Attending to lay missionaries, there has been a global increase of 3,121, reaching the number of 413,561, an increase which is reflected, above all, in Asia (4,114 more), America (3,535 more) and Africa (559 more). In addition, major seminarians, diocesan and religious, decreased by 2,203 to 111,855. The increase was recorded in Africa (907 more), while their number decreased in the Americas (1,261 fewer), Asia (1,168 fewer), Europe (680 fewer) and Oceania (one less). Millions of students in their schools In the field of education, the Church administers 72,785 nursery schools in the world, attended by 7,510,632 students; 99,668 primary schools with 34,614,488 students and 49,437 secondary schools with 19,252,704,763 students. Added to these are 2,403,787 high school students and 3,771,946 university students. Regarding the charitable and assistance institutes administered in the world by the Church, they include: 5,322 hospitals, 14,415 clinics, most of them in Africa (4,956) and America (3,785); 534 leper colonies, mainly in Asia (265) and Africa (210); 15,204 homes for the elderly, chronically ill and disabled, most of them in Europe (7,953); 9,230 orphanages mostly in Asia (3,201); 10,441 nurseries; 10,362 marriage clinics; 3,137 education or social re-education centers and 34,291 other types of institutions. The ecclesiastical circumscriptions dependent on the Dicastery for Evangelization are a total of 1,118, according to the last recorded variation. Most of the ecclesiastical circumscriptions entrusted to the Dicastery are in Africa (518) and Asia (483), followed by America (71) and Oceania (46).