Religion
Highest Catholic Population 2026
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- For countries whose population and percentage estimates were given as a range by the original source, the high end of the range is displayed.
- Table includes the most recent available data for each country. Data years vary from one country to another.
- See also: Catholic Cardinals by Country
Catholicism is a religion practiced in nations all around the world. It’s a division of Christianity, the largest religion globally. There are several core beliefs of Catholicism. First, Catholics believe that Jesus is the son of God, that he was put to death by crucifixion sometime around 33 CE, and that he rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. Catholics also believe that the Bible is the word of God. Catholics use the Ten Commandments as a moral and ethical compass. Catholics believe in Adam and Eve, and they believe that all humans are sinners because of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
While these basic beliefs are common among all variations of Christianity, Catholicism also holds a number of exclusive views unique among Christian denominations. For example, while most Christians view baptism as a symbolic act, Catholics believe that the practice removes the original sin and is necessary for salvation. In addition, Catholics value praying to deceased saints and the Virgin Mary, whereas other Christians pray only to the Holy Trinity of the Father (God), the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Additional differences include Catholics’ confession of sins to an Earthly priest and the Catholic belief in the existence of Purgatory.
Top 11 Countries with the Greatest Number of Catholics (total headcount)
Data from the CIA Factbook and the Pew Research Center has been used to identify nations with the highest populations of Catholics. When it comes to the total number of Catholics in a nation, Brazil comes out on top. It is estimated that at least 123 million people in Brazil are Catholic, although more recent estimates say this number could now be 140 million or higher.
The ten nations with the highest number of Catholics behind Brazil are Mexico, the Philippines, the United States, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, France, Colombia, Spain, Argentina, and Nigeria. However, the list of countries by the percentage of Catholics within a nation looks quite different.
Top 10 Countries with the Greatest Percentage of Catholics
Vatican City may have only about 842 Catholics, but they comprise the micronation’s entire population—though granted, considering this is the global headquarters of the Catholic church, it does stand to reason. More than 97% of Timor-Leste’s population is Catholic. San Marino comes in third based on the percentage of Catholics at 97%. The top 10 nations with the highest percentages of Catholics are Vatican City, Timor-Leste, San Marino, Wallis and Futuna, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Paraguay, Andorra, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
