The number of Catholics in the world is continuing to rise, according to the latest set of annual statistics published by FIDES, the Church’s missionary news agency. In 2015 there were 1,284,810,000 Catholics worldwide, up by 12.5 million on the previous year. Baptised Catholics now make up 17.72% of the global population, with most Catholics now living in the Southern Hemisphere. Catholic numbers are increasing on every continent except Europe, and it is estimated that by 2025 four out of five Catholics will be Spanish-speaking.
Catholics on the rise worldwide
