Catholic population grows

The number of Catholics in the world increased during the nine years between 2005 and 2014 from 1,115 million to 1,272 million, representing 17.8 per cent of the world population compared to 17.3 per cent, according to the latest figures, writes James Roberts.

The figures published in the newly released Pontifical Yearbook 2016 and the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2014 show that in every continent except Oceania the number of Catholics increased at a greater rate than that of the population as a whole.

The number of priests, diocesan and religious, from 2005 to 2014 increased by 9,381 from 406,411 to 415,792 but declined by 8 per cent in Europe.