Highest Catholic Population 2022

Catholicism is a worldwide religion with adherents in almost every country. It’s a branch of Christianity, the world’s most populous religion.




Catholicism has several key principles. An important foundational tenet of Catholicism is on belief in Jesus Christ as the son of God, crucified in 33 CE and risen again after his death. Like many other Christians, Catholics believe that the Bible is God’s inspired word.

The Ten Commandments serve as a moral compass for Catholics. As a Catholic, you believe that all people are sinners due to the sin of Adam and Eve.

As with other Christian religions, Catholicism has some exclusive viewpoints not shared by other Christian denominations. However, Catholics believe that baptism eliminates this original sin and is thus essential for salvation.

Christians pray simply to God, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit, whereas Catholics pray to departed saints and Mary and God Himself. Catholics’ confession of sins before an Earthly priest and the Catholic belief in Purgatory are among the other contrasts between the two faiths.

The 11 countries with the most Catholics in overall population:




  1. Brazil – 123,360,000
  2. Mexico – 100,000,000
  3. Philippines – 85,470,000
  4. United States – 69,300,000
  5. Italy – 50,474,000
  6. France – 39,000,000
  7. Colombia – 35,000,000
  8. Poland – 33,037,017
  9. Spain – 30,720,000
  10. Argentina – 28,770,000
  11. Congo (Dem. Republic) – 28,700,000

The CIA Factbook and the Pew Research Center were utilized to determine which countries had the greatest proportion of Catholics. Brazil has the highest percentage of Catholics in the world. At least 123 million people in Brazil are Catholic, while current estimates put the figure at 140 million or more.

Mexico, the Philippines, the United States, Italy, France, Colombia, Poland, Spain, Argentina, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the top 10 countries with the most Catholics. However, if you consider the proportion of Catholics in a country, this ranking shifts somewhat.

There are more Catholics in the following countries than in any other.

  1. Vatican City – 100%
  2. Timor-Leste – 96.9%
  3. San Marino – 90.5%
  4. Paraguay – 89.0%
  5. Malta – 88.7%
  6. Andorra – 88.2%
  7. Croatia – 86.3%
  8. Poland – 85.8%
  9. Portugal – 84.5%
  10. Italy – 83.0%

Only 800 Catholics make up Vatican City’s whole population—though this is logical given that Vatican City serves as the worldwide headquarters of the Catholic church. Nearly all Timor-citizens citizens are Catholic.

According to the proportion of Catholics, San Marino ranks third. Vatican City, East Timor, San Marino, Paraguay, Malta, and Andorra are the top 10 countries with the largest Catholic populations based on percentages.




Country% Catholic of Total PopulationNumber of Catholics
Vatican City100799
Timor-Leste96.90001021000
San Marino90.500029412
Paraguay896000000
Malta88.7000361372
Andorra88.200061740
Croatia86.30003698000
Poland85.800033037017
Portugal84.50008920000
Italy8350474000
Monaco82.300029933
Philippines81.400085470000
Equatorial Guinea80.70001410000
Mexico80100000000
Ireland78.30003729000
Cape Verde77.3000395850
Lithuania77.20002311722
Ecuador7711265523
Seychelles76.200070866
Liechtenstein75.900025803
Peru7523674000
Colombia7535000000
Sao Tome and Principe73.5000119805
Slovenia73.20001511980
Bolivia737980000
Venezuela7022400000
Argentina68.500028770000
Spain6630720000
Luxembourg65.9000369600
Panama62.50002162500
Burundi62.10007440000
Slovakia623347277
Saint Lucia61.3000101500
Chile60.80009000000
France58.500039000000
Dominica58.100041564
Belgium586500000
Brazil57.5000123360000
Costa Rica572850000
Austria56.90005050000
Kiribati55.800054684
Haiti54.70005470000
Dominican Republic52.50005460000
Cuba51.70005790000
Gabon50694600
Lesotho45.7000946000
Nicaragua452700000
Grenada44.600039917
Rwanda43.70004807000
Guatemala437000000
Palau41.60008299
Honduras41.50003652000
Angola41.100010600000
Belize40133600
Uruguay39.50001330000
Uganda39.300016500000
El Salvador392730000
Canada38.700013843000
Cameroon38.40009846000
Hungary37.20003674244
DR Congo36.800028700000
Switzerland36.55003052000
Republic of the Congo33.10001675529
South Sudan303000000
Madagascar29.50005318293
Lebanon28.80001382400
Malawi28.40003449487
Mozambique28.40004618795
Germany27.700023002000
Tanzania27.200012220689
Papua New Guinea271890000
Benin26.60001984366
Togo26.40001499921
Central African Republic25949974
Mauritius23.6000289314
Netherlands23.30003943000
Australia22.60005292000
Kenya22.10009613500
Suriname21.6000119000
Trinidad and Tobago21.6000286000
Ivory Coast21.40005093000
Zambia213003000
United States2169300000
Chad20.10002520000
Samoa19.600035084
Latvia19.1000437435
Solomon Islands19100000
Burkina Faso172367303
Namibia16.9000344202
Tonga15.600015912
Bosnia and Herzegovina15.1900536333
Vanuatu13.100036500
Ghana12.90002712851
Nigeria12.600023940000
Bahamas1239600
New Zealand11.1000492000
South Korea115813770
Czech Republic10.20001071000
Albania10302000
Fiji9.100080401
United Kingdom95700000
Bahrain8.900071200
Guinea-Bissau8.9000126026
Marshall Islands8.40005208
Antigua and Barbuda8.20006930
Guyana8.100091833
Ukraine7.80003354000
Zimbabwe7.7100982792
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines7.50007950
Belarus7.1000674500
South Africa7.10002851327
Vietnam6.80005658000
Saint Kitts and Nevis6.70003400
Kuwait6.1000142474
Serbia6.1000433167
Sri Lanka6.10001237000
Qatar5.800050000
Liberia5.4000188039
Brunei518618
United Arab Emirates5128160
Eswatini4.900062803
Botswana4.900080365
Singapore4.8000165964
Romania4.70001787408
Barbados4.200010000
Oman4.1000110000
Iceland3.900013799
Senegal3.5000389439
Montenegro3.400021299
Eritrea3.3000150532
Malaysia3.30001290453
Sierra Leone2.9000174511
Indonesia2.90007395000
Guinea2.6000246164
Saudi Arabia2.5000660439
Norway2.4000120900
Gambia2.100033458
Jamaica257780
Palestine280000
Syria2368975
Sweden1.8000180000
Mali1.5000189289
Taiwan1.3000297626
Israel1.200092952
India1.200015520000
Myanmar1.1000450549
Tuvalu1100
Cyprus111000
Armenia129829
Sudan1300000
China0.870012000000
Georgia0.800084193
Pakistan0.80001656000
Denmark0.700040000
Libya0.700040358
Ethiopia0.7000584426
Laos0.600037302
Kazakhstan0.600091115
Moldova0.500020494
Bulgaria0.500037251
Russia0.5000717101
Jordan0.400023038
Greece0.400044683
Iraq0.3500133000
Estonia0.30003998
Thailand0.3000196333
Japan0.3000382251
Comoros0.20001600
Djibouti0.2000953
Finland0.200012434
Tunisia0.200022000
Algeria0.140045000
Mauritania0.10003086
Kyrgyzstan0.10005146
Cambodia0.100010000
Niger0.100011665
Egypt0.100077505
Morocco0.070022908
Bangladesh0.0700110000
Western Sahara0.0600163
Bhutan0.06001339
Turkey0.050035000
Mongolia0.04001116
Azerbaijan0.03002574
Nepal0.03008302
Maldives0.020080
Yemen0.02004145
Iran0.020013603
Turkmenistan0.0100500
Tajikistan0.01001000
North Korea0.01002291
Uzbekistan0.01002685
Somalia0.0010100
Afghanistan0.0003100




Also Checkout: High Context Countries 2022

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