The Catholic Church is growing more in Africa than in any continent and the number of Catholics worldwide stands at 1.2 billion.
The Vatican presented its Yearbook for 2013 with data referred to the year 2011.The Catholic Church grew 4.3 percent in Africa and two percent in Asia. In the other continents the numbers remained stable.
In 2011, 48.8 percent of Catholics lived in the Americas, 23.5 percent in Europe, 16 percent in Africa, 10.9 percent in Asia, and 0.8 percent in Oceania.
In terms of vocations, priests increase in Africa and Asia and permanent deacons in Europe and the Americas.