A
Agenzia_Fides
Guest
CATHOLIC CHURCH STATISTICS
Vatican City (Fides Service) – As every year in the month of October, in view of World Mission Sunday, Fides News Service offers, with the help of a few statistics, a panorama of Catholic missionary activity all over the world. Tables regarding members of the Church, church structures in the fields of pastoral care, healthcare, education and assistance are taken from the latest edition of the Church’s Book of Statistics (31 December 2007). Please note that variations, increase or decrease, emerging from our own comparison with last year’s figures, are marked increase + or decrease –. in brackets
World population
On 31 December 2007the world population was 6,617,097,000 with an increase of 74,273,000 units compared with the previous year. Population growth was registered on every continent including Europe, as it was noted in the previous year: Africa +16,865,000; America +11,327,000; Asia + 43,304,000; Oceania +531,000; Europe +2,246,000.
Catholics
On the same date Catholics in the world numbered 1.146.656.000 with an overall *increase *of 15.906.000 more than the previous year, in every continent as follows: Africa +6.612.000; America +5.535.000; Asia +2.428.000; Europe + 1,132,000 Oceania +199.000.
The world percentage of Catholics *increased *by 0.05 %, settling at 17.33%; by continent: increases were registered in Africa + 0,40; Asia + 0,02;in Europe + 0,03 and in Oceania - 0,17 . a slight drop in numbers was registered in America - 0,17.
Persons and Catholics per priest
This year again the number of persons per priest in the world *increased *by 140units, (average 12,879). The distribution by continent resembles previous years: increase in America, Europe and Oceania, decrease in Africa and Asia : Africa - 456; America +71; Asia - 794; Europe +53; Oceania +207;
The number of Catholics per priest in the world increased by 34 units (average 2,810). Here too we have increases on every continent except Asia: Africa + 30; America + 31; Asia -20; Europe +22; Oceania +65.
Ecclesiastical circumscriptions and mission stations
The number of ecclesiastical circumscriptions increased by 13 to 2,936 with new circumscriptions created in: Africa +2; America +6; and Europe +5. Mission stations with a resident priest 1,016 (1,531 less than in the previous year) are decreasing on every continent.
Mission Stations without a resident priest increased in number by 5,159 units, to 124,642. Increases registered on every continent were greater in America (+ 3,764), and Africa (+ 1,310); followed by Asia (+ 75); Europe (+6); Oceania (+ 4).
Bishops
The number of bishops in the world increased by 48 units, to 4,946. Every continent, except America -2, registered an increase: Africa (+ 19); Asia, (+12) and Europe (+13) Oceania (+6)*. *The increase in numbers regard both diocesan and religious Bishops:Diocesan bishops number 3,729 (40 more than in the previous year); Religious Bishops number 1,217 (increase of 8 units). The increase in diocesan bishops is registered on every continent: Africa (+12); Asia (+10), Europe (+15); Oceania (+3); whereas in America the situation remains unchanged. The number of religious Bishops increased slightly in Africa (+ 7); Asia (+2) and Oceania (+ 3), whereas the number dropped in Europe (-2) and America (-2).
**P****riests **
The total number of priests in the world increased by 762 units, to 408,024. The only continents which registered a decrease were again Europe (-2,260) and Oceania (-55), whereas figures grew in Africa (+1,180); America (+ 376) and Asia (+1.521). Diocesan priests increased by 1,340 units, reaching a total of 272,431 with *increases *in Africa (+1,024), America (+853), Asia (+864) but showed a slight drop in Oceania (- 9), and again a decrease in Europe (- 1,392). The number of Religious priestsdecreased by 578 units to a total 135,593. Increases were registered as in recent years in Asia (+657) and Africa (+156), whereas numbers dropped in America (- 447), Europe (- 868) and Oceania (- 46).
Permanent Deacons
Permanent deacons *increased *by 1,422 units to 35,942. The highest increase was registered again in America (+898) and in Europe (+472), followed by Africa (+24), Asia (+ 20) and Oceania (+8). Diocesan Permanent deacons number 35,297, with *increases *on all continents (total *increase *1,309 units): Africa (+ 28), America (+829); Asia (+ 23); Europe (+419) and Oceania (+ 10).
Religious permanent deacons number 645, with an increase of 133 units more than in the previous year with increases in America (+69); and Europe (+ 53); but a decrease in Africa (- 4) and Asia ( - 3); Oceania (-2).
Men and Women Religious
The number of Brothers* dropped* by 151 units to 54,956. Situation:* increase* in Africa (+ 75); America (+ 111), Asia (+ 36); and Oceania (+ 19). The only decrease was registered in Europe (- 392). An overall decrease in the number of women religious (– 6,586), today 746,841, was registered by continent as follows: *increase *in Africa (+ 1,178 ) and Asia (+ 2,838) and *decrease *in Europe (- 5,843), America (– 4,650) and Oceania (– 109).
Members of Secular Institutes, Male and Female
Members of male secular institutes number 665 with an overall decrease of 26 units. Numbers increased only in Europe (+ 15), the situation in Oceania remained the same with only one member of a secular institute. Numbers decreased in Africa (- 17), America (- 6), Asia (- 18).
Members of Female secular institutes decreased again this year, by 572 units to a total of **26,778 **members. *Decreases *were registered in America (- 238), in Europe (- 415) and Oceania (-2) while numbers increased in Africa (+18), Asia (+ 65).
Lay Missionaries and Catechists
The number of lay missionaries in the world is 250,464 units, with an overall increase of 33,696 units, distributed as follows: America (+31,417), Asia (+ 2,552) and Europe (+ 493). Whereas numbers dropped in Africa ( - 711) and Oceania (- 55).
Catechists in the world increased by 6,665 units to a total of 2,993,354. Numbers grew in Africa (+ 5,896), Asia (+ 14, 383), and Europe (+ 7,403), but dropped in America (- 20,071) and Oceania (- 946).
M****ajor Seminarians
The overall number of major seminarians, diocesan and religious, rose again, although less than the previous year, increasing by 439 units to 115,919. Numbers grew in Africa (+ 695), Asia (+ 595), and Oceania (+ 5) but dropped in America (- 381) and Europe (- 475).
Diocesan major seminarians number 71,225 (653 less than the previous year) but Religious major seminarians increased to 44,602 (+1.092). Diocesan seminarians increased in Africa (+136) and Oceania (+ 5), but decreased in America (- 239), Asia (- 74) and Europe (- 481).
Religious Seminarians increased in Africa (+ 559), Asia ( + 669) and Europe (+ 6). Numbers remained the same in Oceania (=) and dropped in America ( - 142).
Minor Seminarians
The number of minor seminarians, diocesan and religious, decreased by 671 units, to 101,978. Numbers grew in Africa (+782), Europe (+ 13) and Oceania (+ 49), but dropped in America (- 684) and Asia (- 831). Diocesan minor seminarians number 77,145 (- 1, 158), whereas religious seminarians number 24,833 (+ 487). The number of diocesan minor seminarians has decreased on every continent except Oceania ( + 63). Religious minor seminarians decreased in number in America ( - 136), Asia ( - 241) and Oceania ( - 14), but increased in Africa (+ 815) and Europe ( + 63).
Catholic Schools
In the field of education the Catholic Church runs 67,264 kindergartens with 6,386,497 pupils; 91,694 primary schools with 29,800,338 pupils; 41,210 secondary schools (+274) with 16,778,633 pupils. The Church also cares for 1,894,148 high school pupils and 2,837,370 university students.
**
Catholic Charity and Healthcare Centres**
The Church runs 5,378 hospitals most of them in America (1,669) and Europe (1,363); 18,088 dispensaries mainly in America (5,663), Africa (5,373) and Asia (3,532); 521 Care Homes for people with Leprosy mainly in Asia (293) and Africa (186); 15,448 **Homes **for the elderly, or the chronically ill or people with a disability mainly in Europe (8,271) and America (3,839); 9,376 orphanages, about one third in Asia (3,376); 11,555 creches ; 13,599 marriage counselling centres mainly in Europe (5,919) and America (4,827); 33.146 social rehabilitation centres and 10,356 other kinds of institutions.
Full article…
Vatican City (Fides Service) – As every year in the month of October, in view of World Mission Sunday, Fides News Service offers, with the help of a few statistics, a panorama of Catholic missionary activity all over the world. Tables regarding members of the Church, church structures in the fields of pastoral care, healthcare, education and assistance are taken from the latest edition of the Church’s Book of Statistics (31 December 2007). Please note that variations, increase or decrease, emerging from our own comparison with last year’s figures, are marked increase + or decrease –. in brackets
World population
On 31 December 2007the world population was 6,617,097,000 with an increase of 74,273,000 units compared with the previous year. Population growth was registered on every continent including Europe, as it was noted in the previous year: Africa +16,865,000; America +11,327,000; Asia + 43,304,000; Oceania +531,000; Europe +2,246,000.
Catholics
On the same date Catholics in the world numbered 1.146.656.000 with an overall *increase *of 15.906.000 more than the previous year, in every continent as follows: Africa +6.612.000; America +5.535.000; Asia +2.428.000; Europe + 1,132,000 Oceania +199.000.
The world percentage of Catholics *increased *by 0.05 %, settling at 17.33%; by continent: increases were registered in Africa + 0,40; Asia + 0,02;in Europe + 0,03 and in Oceania - 0,17 . a slight drop in numbers was registered in America - 0,17.
Persons and Catholics per priest
This year again the number of persons per priest in the world *increased *by 140units, (average 12,879). The distribution by continent resembles previous years: increase in America, Europe and Oceania, decrease in Africa and Asia : Africa - 456; America +71; Asia - 794; Europe +53; Oceania +207;
The number of Catholics per priest in the world increased by 34 units (average 2,810). Here too we have increases on every continent except Asia: Africa + 30; America + 31; Asia -20; Europe +22; Oceania +65.
Ecclesiastical circumscriptions and mission stations
The number of ecclesiastical circumscriptions increased by 13 to 2,936 with new circumscriptions created in: Africa +2; America +6; and Europe +5. Mission stations with a resident priest 1,016 (1,531 less than in the previous year) are decreasing on every continent.
Mission Stations without a resident priest increased in number by 5,159 units, to 124,642. Increases registered on every continent were greater in America (+ 3,764), and Africa (+ 1,310); followed by Asia (+ 75); Europe (+6); Oceania (+ 4).
Bishops
The number of bishops in the world increased by 48 units, to 4,946. Every continent, except America -2, registered an increase: Africa (+ 19); Asia, (+12) and Europe (+13) Oceania (+6)*. *The increase in numbers regard both diocesan and religious Bishops:Diocesan bishops number 3,729 (40 more than in the previous year); Religious Bishops number 1,217 (increase of 8 units). The increase in diocesan bishops is registered on every continent: Africa (+12); Asia (+10), Europe (+15); Oceania (+3); whereas in America the situation remains unchanged. The number of religious Bishops increased slightly in Africa (+ 7); Asia (+2) and Oceania (+ 3), whereas the number dropped in Europe (-2) and America (-2).
**P****riests **
The total number of priests in the world increased by 762 units, to 408,024. The only continents which registered a decrease were again Europe (-2,260) and Oceania (-55), whereas figures grew in Africa (+1,180); America (+ 376) and Asia (+1.521). Diocesan priests increased by 1,340 units, reaching a total of 272,431 with *increases *in Africa (+1,024), America (+853), Asia (+864) but showed a slight drop in Oceania (- 9), and again a decrease in Europe (- 1,392). The number of Religious priestsdecreased by 578 units to a total 135,593. Increases were registered as in recent years in Asia (+657) and Africa (+156), whereas numbers dropped in America (- 447), Europe (- 868) and Oceania (- 46).
Permanent Deacons
Permanent deacons *increased *by 1,422 units to 35,942. The highest increase was registered again in America (+898) and in Europe (+472), followed by Africa (+24), Asia (+ 20) and Oceania (+8). Diocesan Permanent deacons number 35,297, with *increases *on all continents (total *increase *1,309 units): Africa (+ 28), America (+829); Asia (+ 23); Europe (+419) and Oceania (+ 10).
Religious permanent deacons number 645, with an increase of 133 units more than in the previous year with increases in America (+69); and Europe (+ 53); but a decrease in Africa (- 4) and Asia ( - 3); Oceania (-2).
Men and Women Religious
The number of Brothers* dropped* by 151 units to 54,956. Situation:* increase* in Africa (+ 75); America (+ 111), Asia (+ 36); and Oceania (+ 19). The only decrease was registered in Europe (- 392). An overall decrease in the number of women religious (– 6,586), today 746,841, was registered by continent as follows: *increase *in Africa (+ 1,178 ) and Asia (+ 2,838) and *decrease *in Europe (- 5,843), America (– 4,650) and Oceania (– 109).
Members of Secular Institutes, Male and Female
Members of male secular institutes number 665 with an overall decrease of 26 units. Numbers increased only in Europe (+ 15), the situation in Oceania remained the same with only one member of a secular institute. Numbers decreased in Africa (- 17), America (- 6), Asia (- 18).
Members of Female secular institutes decreased again this year, by 572 units to a total of **26,778 **members. *Decreases *were registered in America (- 238), in Europe (- 415) and Oceania (-2) while numbers increased in Africa (+18), Asia (+ 65).
Lay Missionaries and Catechists
The number of lay missionaries in the world is 250,464 units, with an overall increase of 33,696 units, distributed as follows: America (+31,417), Asia (+ 2,552) and Europe (+ 493). Whereas numbers dropped in Africa ( - 711) and Oceania (- 55).
Catechists in the world increased by 6,665 units to a total of 2,993,354. Numbers grew in Africa (+ 5,896), Asia (+ 14, 383), and Europe (+ 7,403), but dropped in America (- 20,071) and Oceania (- 946).
M****ajor Seminarians
The overall number of major seminarians, diocesan and religious, rose again, although less than the previous year, increasing by 439 units to 115,919. Numbers grew in Africa (+ 695), Asia (+ 595), and Oceania (+ 5) but dropped in America (- 381) and Europe (- 475).
Diocesan major seminarians number 71,225 (653 less than the previous year) but Religious major seminarians increased to 44,602 (+1.092). Diocesan seminarians increased in Africa (+136) and Oceania (+ 5), but decreased in America (- 239), Asia (- 74) and Europe (- 481).
Religious Seminarians increased in Africa (+ 559), Asia ( + 669) and Europe (+ 6). Numbers remained the same in Oceania (=) and dropped in America ( - 142).
Minor Seminarians
The number of minor seminarians, diocesan and religious, decreased by 671 units, to 101,978. Numbers grew in Africa (+782), Europe (+ 13) and Oceania (+ 49), but dropped in America (- 684) and Asia (- 831). Diocesan minor seminarians number 77,145 (- 1, 158), whereas religious seminarians number 24,833 (+ 487). The number of diocesan minor seminarians has decreased on every continent except Oceania ( + 63). Religious minor seminarians decreased in number in America ( - 136), Asia ( - 241) and Oceania ( - 14), but increased in Africa (+ 815) and Europe ( + 63).
Catholic Schools
In the field of education the Catholic Church runs 67,264 kindergartens with 6,386,497 pupils; 91,694 primary schools with 29,800,338 pupils; 41,210 secondary schools (+274) with 16,778,633 pupils. The Church also cares for 1,894,148 high school pupils and 2,837,370 university students.
**
Catholic Charity and Healthcare Centres**
The Church runs 5,378 hospitals most of them in America (1,669) and Europe (1,363); 18,088 dispensaries mainly in America (5,663), Africa (5,373) and Asia (3,532); 521 Care Homes for people with Leprosy mainly in Asia (293) and Africa (186); 15,448 **Homes **for the elderly, or the chronically ill or people with a disability mainly in Europe (8,271) and America (3,839); 9,376 orphanages, about one third in Asia (3,376); 11,555 creches ; 13,599 marriage counselling centres mainly in Europe (5,919) and America (4,827); 33.146 social rehabilitation centres and 10,356 other kinds of institutions.
Full article…