Frequently Requested Church Statistics
CARA gets many inquiries from Church agencies and the media about the numbers for vocations, seminary enrollments, priests and vowed religious, parishes, Mass attendance, schools and the Catholic population. Below are some comparative statistics from 1970. Generally, these data reflect the situation at the beginning of the calendar year listed. The sources for this information include The Official Catholic Directory (OCD), the Vatican's Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (ASE), and other CARA research and databases. All data are cross checked as much as possible. For the U.S, the numbers reported here include only figures for those 195 dioceses or eparchies who belong to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all U.S. military personnel stationed overseas. Entries reading "--" have no data available at this time and "na" is not applicable. Below the tables are some frequently asked questions and our most recent answers from our research blog: nineteensixty-four. Also listed are recent regular CARA statistical reports and CARA special reports. For more information about CARA research and statistics, including our national and parish surveys, demographic studies, trend analyses and projections, and focus groups visit CARA Services. For more information about CARA's beginnings read the following Review of Religious Research article from 1967 by Francis X. Gannon entitled, "Bridging the Research Gap: CARA, Response to Vatican II."
U.S. Data Over Time
| Clergy, Religious, and Lay Leaders | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2021 | |
| Total priests | 59,192 | 58,909 | 58,398 | 57,317 | 52,124 | 49,054 | 45,699 | 41,399 | 39,993 | 37,578 | 34,923 | |
| Diocesan priests | 37,272 | 36,005 | 35,627 | 35,052 | 34,114 | 32,349 | 30,607 | 28,094 | 27,182 | 25,868 | 24,204 | |
| Religious priests | 21,920 | 22,904 | 22,771 | 22,265 | 18,010 | 16,705 | 15,092 | 13,305 | 12,811 | 11,710 | 10,709 | |
| Priestly ordinations | 805 | 771 | 593 | 533 | 595 | 511 | 442 | 454 | 459 | 515 | 441 | |
| Graduate-level seminarians | 6,602 | 5,279 | 4,197 | 4,063 | 3,658 | 3,172 | 3,474 | 3,308 | 3,483 | 3,650 | -- | |
| Permanent deacons | na | 898 | 4,093 | 7,204 | 9,356 | 10,932 | 12,378 | 14,574 | 16,649 | 18,082 | 18,619 | |
| Permanent deacon candidates | na | 2,243 | 2,514 | 2,263 | 1,980 | 2,026 | 2,497 | 2,342 | 2,445 | 2,051 | -- | |
| Religious sisters | 160,931 | 135,225 | 126,517 | 115,386 | 102,504 | 90,809 | 79,814 | 68,634 | 57,544 | 48,546 | 39,452 | |
| Religious brothers | 11,623 | 8,625 | 7,941 | 7,544 | 6,721 | 6,535 | 5,662 | 5,451 | 4,690 | 4,200 | 3,832 | |
| Lay Ecclesial Ministers in parish ministry | -- | -- | -- | -- | 21,569 | 29,146 | -- | 30,632 | 37,929 | 39,651 | -- | |
| Parishes and the Catholic Population | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2021 | |
| Parishes | 18,224 | 18,515 | 18,794 | 19,244 | 19,620 | 19,331 | 19,236 | 18,891 | 17,958 | 17,337 | 16,579 | |
| Parishes without a resident priest pastor | 571 | 702 | 791 | 1,051 | 1,812 | 2,161 | 2,843 | 3,251 | 3,353 | 3,533 | 3,377 | |
| Parishes where a bishop has entrusted the pastoral care of the parish to a deacon or some other person | -- | 7 | 11 | 93 | 249 | 314 | 447 | 553 | 469 | 451 | 312 | |
| Percentage of diocesan priests active in ministry | 90% | 88% | 85% | 84% | 80% | 76% | 74% | 70% | 68% | 66% | 66% | |
| Active diocesan priests per parish | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| Catholic population (The Official Catholic Directory; parish-connected Catholics) | 47.9m | 48.7m | 50.5m | 52.3m | 55.7m | 57.4m | 59.9m | 64.8m | 65.6m | 68.1m | 66.8m | |
| Catholic population (self-identified, survey-based estimate) | 54.1m | 54.6m | 56.4m | 64.0m | 61.4m | 64.4m | 71.7m | 81.2m | 78.3m | 75.4m | 73.2m | |
| Foreign-born adult Catholics (survey-based estimate) | -- | -- | 4.1m | 5.4m | 5.6m | 7.1m | 11.1m | 17.6m | 13.7m | 13.1m | 14.9m | |
| Former Catholic adults: Those raised Catholic who no longer self-identify as Catholic (survey-based estimate) | 3.5m | 1.8m | 3.2m | 2.1m | 4.3m | 10.8m | 11.7m | 15.5m | 19.0m | 23.6m | 30.8m | |
| Adult converts to Catholicism (survey-based estimate) | 2.9m | 4.9m | 4.5m | 5.5m | 5.0m | 4.7m | 4.8m | 4.3m | 6.1m | 4.7m | 4.4m | |
| Religious Education | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2021 | |
| Primary school-age children in parish religious education | 4.2m | 3.9m | 3.4m | 3.1m | 3.1m | 3.3m | 3.6m | 3.4m | 3.0m | 2.6m | 1.8m | |
| Catholic elementary schools | 9,366 | 8,414 | 8,022 | 7,764 | 7,395 | 6,964 | 6,793 | 6,122 | 5,889 | 5,302 | 4,853 | |
| Students in Catholic elementary schools | 3.4m | 2.6m | 2.2m | 2.0m | 2.0m | 1.8m | 1.8m | 1.6m | 1.5m | 1.4m | 1.1m | |
| Secondary school-age teens in parish religious education | 1.3m | 1.0m | 959,935 | 831,331 | 736,188 | 749,377 | 760,644 | 787,033 | 656,722 | 635,170 | 550,170 | |
| Catholic secondary schools | 1,986 | 1,624 | 1,549 | 1,425 | 1,324 | 1,280 | 1,297 | 1,325 | 1,205 | 1,200 | 1,174 | |
| Students in Catholic secondary schools | 1.008m | 884,181 | 838,136 | 774,216 | 606,000 | 638,440 | 653,723 | 653,226 | 611,723 | 583,885 | 535,844 | |
| Catholic colleges and universities | 279 | 245 | 235 | 243 | 228 | 231 | 230 | 229 | 234 | 226 | 221 | |
| Students in Catholic colleges and universities | 411,111 | 432,597 | 536,799 | 545,461 | 619,300 | 653,927 | 683,768 | 752,718 | 783,407 | 784,790 | 730,803 | |
| Sacraments and Rites | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2021 | |
| Baptisms of infants in previous year | 1.089m | 894,992 | 943,632 | 953,323 | 986,308 | 981,444 | 996,199 | 929,545 | 806,138 | 693,914 | 411,482 | |
| Baptisms of other minors in previous year | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 60,927 | 66,458 | 38,816 | |
| Baptisms of adults in previous year | 84,534 | 80,035 | 88,942 | 87,996 | 85,600 | 66,886 | 77,578 | 76,605 | 41,600 | 42,751 | 25,356 | |
| Receptions into full communion in previous year | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 76,176 | 95,003 | 73,402 | 70,318 | 67,140 | 45,440 | |
| Confirmations in previous year | -- | -- | -- | -- | 491,360 | 555,767 | 630,465 | 610,282 | 597,402 | 566,143 | 409,491 | |
| First Communions in previous year | -- | -- | -- | -- | 849,919 | 794,576 | 881,321 | 807,066 | 802,300 | 726,887 | 434,889 | |
| Marriages in previous year | 426,309 | 369,133 | 350,745 | 348,300 | 326,079 | 294,144 | 261,626 | 207,112 | 168,400 | 148,134 | 97,200 | |
| Annulments initiated in previous year | -- | -- | -- | 60,691 | 72,308 | 57,018 | 49,973 | 33,727 | 26,025 | 23,302 | -- | |
| Funerals in previous year | 417,779 | 406,497 | 417,047 | 446,822 | 452,526 | 455,477 | 472,789 | 445,616 | 417,387 | 391,131 | 356,521 | |
| Catholics who attend Mass every week (survey-based estimate) | 54.9% | 42.0% | 42.2% | 39.9% | 32.5% | 26.4% | 30.8% | 25.6% | 24.2% | 23.4% | 17.3% | |
| Catholics who attend Mass at least once a month (including weekly and more frequent attenders; survey-based estimate) | 71.3% | 57.6% | 63.7% | 54.7% | 57.2% | 50.6% | 48.9% | 51.6% | 48.9% | 49.5% | 36.6% | |
| Catholics praying at least once a week week (survey-based estimate) | -- | -- | 80.8% | 83.8% | 76.1% | 85.5% | 82.5% | 82.7% | 79.8% | 82.5% | 71.9% | |
| Catholics who say their religious affiliation is "strong" (survey-based estimate) | 45.8% | 38.4% | 44.1% | 44.3% | 36.2% | 34.7% | 36.7% | 29.9% | 32.3% | 33.7% | -- | |
| Health Services | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2021 | |
| Catholic hospitals | 727 | 657 | 642 | 631 | 633 | 600 | 594 | 571 | 553 | 541 | 534 | |
| Patients served in Catholic hospitals in previous year | 21.5m | 29.9m | 36.5m | 36.6m | 43.4m | 56.4m | 79.0m | 84.7m | 89.9m | 87.9m | 92.3m | |
| Clergy Sexual Abuse of Minors | 1970-74 | 1975-79 | 1980-84 | 1985-89 | 1990-94 | 1995-99 | 2000-04 | 2005-09 | 2010-14 | 2015-19 | 2020-21 | |
| Allegations made since 2004 (i.e., when abuse occurred) | 2,505 | 2,401 | 1,863 | 954 | 449 | 232 | 156 | 124 | 117 | 86 | 9 | |
| 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000-02 | |||||||||
| Allegations reported in 2002 or earlier (i.e., when abuse occurred) | 3,445 | 2,074 | 431 | 172 | ||||||||
| Notes: The Official Catholic Directory, from which the sacraments data is drawn, is based on the state of the Church as of January 1 of the year it is published. The sacramental data in these volumes are totals from the previous year. The abuse allegation data are not equivalent to numbers of clergy accused. There are more allegations than accused clergy as some of the priests have multiple victims making allegations of abuse against them. | ||||||||||||
World Data Over Time
1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2018 | |
| Total priests | 419,728 | 404,783 | 413,600 | 403,480 | 403,173 | 404,750 | 405,178 | 406,411 | 412,236 | 414,065 |
| Diocesan priests | 270,924 | 259,331 | 257,409 | 253,319 | 257,696 | 262,418 | 265,781 | 269,762 | 277,009 | 281,874 |
| Religious priests | 148,804 | 145,452 | 156,191 | 150,161 | 145,477 | 142,332 | 139,397 | 136,649 | 135,227 | 132,191 |
| Diocesan priestly ordinations | 4,622 | 4,140 | 3,860 | 4,822 | 5,938 | 6,444 | 6,814 | 6,614 | 6,863 | 5,658 |
| Graduate-level seminarians | -- | 24,183 | 33,731 | 43,476 | 51,603 | 54,154 | 55,968 | 58,538 | 58,140 | 56,345 |
| Permanent deacons | 309 | 2,686 | 7,654 | 12,541 | 17,525 | 22,390 | 27,824 | 33,391 | 39,564 | 46,813 |
| Religious sisters | 1,004,304 | 968,526 | 960,991 | 917,432 | 882,111 | 837,961 | 801,185 | 760,529 | 721,935 | 641,661 |
| Religious brothers | 79,408 | 70,388 | 73,090 | 65,208 | 62,526 | 59,515 | 55,057 | 54,708 | 54,665 | 50,941 |
| Parishes | 191,398 | 200,116 | 206,503 | 212,021 | 215,805 | 220,077 | 218,196 | 217,616 | 221,055 | 223,777 |
| Parishes without a resident priest pastor | 39,431 | 46,074 | 50,469 | 55,343 | 57,664 | 60,705 | 55,729 | 52,509 | 49,172 | 44,569 |
| Canon 517.2 parishes where a bishop has entrusted the pastoral care of the parish to a deacon or some other person | na | na | na | 1,635 | 3,786 | 3,278 | 3,373 | 3,122 | 3,819 | 1,956 |
| Catholic population | 653.6m | 709.6m | 783.7m | 852.0m | 928.5m | 989.4m | 1.045b | 1.115b | 1.196b | 1.329b |
| Percent of world population | 18% | 17% | 18% | 18% | 18% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| Catholic elementary schools | 89,112 | 79,424 | 75,454 | 78,160 | 78,548 | 85,043 | 89,457 | 91,480 | 92,847 | 103,146 |
| Students in Catholic elementary schools | 20.396m | 19.584m | 20.661m | 22.390m | 24.145m | 25.246m | 26.097m | 28.084m | 31.151m | 35.012m |
| Catholic secondary schools | 25,552 | 27,542 | 29,637 | 30,404 | 31,200 | 33,349 | 35,559 | 39,096 | 43,591 | 49,541 |
| Students in Catholic secondary schools | 7.667m | 9.522m | 11.015m | 12.066m | 12.441m | 13.232m | 14.027m | 16.232m | 17.794m | 19.307m |
| Baptisms of infants to age 7 | 14.795m | 15.553m | 16.410m | 16.119m | 16.252m | 15.867m | 15.690m | 14.448m | 14.283m | 12.723m |
| Baptisms of those ages 8 and older | 1.120m | 990,727 | 1.131m | 1.580m | 1.879m | 2.173m | 2.718m | 2.554m | 2.667m | 2.845m |
| Marriages between two Catholics | 3.306m | 3.725m | 3.821m | 3.707m | 3.633m | 3.322m | 3.433m | 2.791m | 2.712m | 2.134m |
| Marriages between a Catholic and a non-Catholic | 360,466 | 353,702 | 335,802 | 328,457 | 347,206 | 311,287 | 297,915 | 262,230 | 247,228 | 227,580 |
| Confirmations | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8.033m | 8.493m | 9.257m | 8.878m | 8.793m | 8.325m |
| First Communions | -- | -- | -- | -- | 11.329m | 11.600m | 12.237m | 11.611m | 10.728m | 10.167m |
| Catholic hospitals | -- | -- | 6,700 | 6,056 | 5,675 | 5,482 | 5,853 | 5,246 | 5,305 | 5,192 |
| Catholic orphanages | -- | -- | 6,185 | 6,988 | 6,650 | 7,554 | 8,695 | 9,616 | 9,882 | 9,295 |
| Note: The ASE, upon which the world data above is based, is released two years after the most current year measured. Thus, the ASE 2017, which was released in 2019, represents 2017 totals. For 2019, there are no current world data sources available. | ||||||||||
