Catholic Church sees first increase in priests in 5 years

The number of Catholic priests worldwide increased for the first time in five years, according to statistics released by the Fides agency on October 16, 2026. The data shows an increase of 425 priests compared to the previous year.

This growth consists entirely of diocesan priests. The number of religious priests, religious brothers and sisters, and seminarians continues to decline.

Africa and Asia recorded increases in diocesan priests, while the Americas reported an increase of 199 priests.

These figures reflect the state of the Church as of December 31, 2024. The statistics were released on World Mission Day to account for the time required to collect and verify data from dioceses and parishes globally.