Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in France and Visit to the Headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (25- 28 September 2026) – Statistics, 18.09.2026
Pastoral statistics for the Catholic Church in France for the years 1980 to 2024 (compiled by the Central Office for Church Statistics based on the Statistical Yearbook for various years):
DESCRIPTION
|
YEARS
|
1980
|
1990
|
2000
|
2010
|
2020
|
2024
|
Area (Km²)
|
551,500
|
551,500
|
551,500
|
551,500
|
551,500
|
551,500
|
Population
|
53,710,000
|
56,440,000
|
58,890,000
|
62,954,000
|
65,124,000
|
66,352,000
|
Baptized Catholics
|
45,503,000
|
47,505,000
|
46,823,000
|
47,132,000
|
48,800,000
|
49,720,000
|
Catholics per 100 inhabitants
|
84.72
|
84.17
|
79.51
|
74.87
|
74.94
|
74.93
|
Ecclesiastical circumscriptions
|
98
|
98
|
98
|
98
|
99
|
99
|
Parishes
|
38,391
|
34,885
|
22,156
|
15,765
|
13,577
|
10,925
|
Bishops
|
197
|
206
|
170
|
188
|
181
|
186
|
Diocesan priests
|
31,481
|
25,203
|
19,234
|
14,448
|
10,349
|
9,095
|
Religious priests
|
7,395
|
7,064
|
6,119
|
4,901
|
3,914
|
3,495
|
Total priests
|
38,876
|
32,267
|
25,353
|
19,349
|
14,263
|
12,590
|
Permanent deacons
|
108
|
634
|
1,622
|
2,421
|
2,910
|
3,147
|
Professed religious (other than priests)
|
5,333
|
4,675
|
3,456
|
2,884
|
2,309
|
2,126
|
Professed religious
|
87,044
|
65,178
|
48,499
|
34,846
|
21,478
|
17,452
|
Major seminarians
|
1,278
|
1,521
|
1,537
|
1,340
|
1,295
|
1,075
|
Baptisms
|
513,501
|
472,130
|
401,054
|
306,841
|
173,300
|
186,165
|
Religious marriages
|
217,479
|
147,146
|
122,580
|
75,635
|
36,916
|
40,678
|
Confirmations
|
( ¹)
|
91,281
|
62,003
|
45,911
|
36,329
|
46,539
|
First Communions
|
( ¹)
|
230,629
|
201,542
|
130,651
|
80,094
|
73,143
|
Students of Educational Institutions
|
1,959,480
|
2,044,874
|
2,001,810
|
2,039,144
|
2,236,079
|
2,234,563
|
Welfare and charitable organizations
|
1,944
|
1,626
|
1,378
|
1,184
|
789
|
1,119
|
Difference between emigrated and immigrant priests of the diocesan clergy
|
267
|
224
|
- 99
|
- 967
|
- 1,532
|
- 1,550
|
(¹) Data unavailable
|
|
