VATICAN CITY
Vatican Insider
They decrease in South America and Europe, increase in Africa and South East Asia
VATICAN INSIDER STAFF
Rome
Catholics in the world are just under 1,196 million, while they were about 1,181 million in 2009. That is, an absolute increase of 15 million faithful, representing 1.3 percent. Moreover, over the past two years the presence of baptized Catholics worldwide has remained stable at 17.5 percent. As regards geographical distribution, Catholics have decreased in South American and especially in Europe.
Instead they have increased in Africa and South East Asia. The figures are obtained from the 2012 Papal Yearbook, presented this morning to the Pope by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and Archbishop Angelo Becciu, respectively Secretary of State and Deputy to the Secretary of State.
The Yearbook also provides a series of figures on bishops, religious, priests and students of the Catholic Church, thereby enabling a concise analysis of major trends concerning the Church and 2,996 ecclesiastical districts on the planet.
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