Statistics of Catholic Church in Iraq

As of December 31, 2019 (from Central Office for Church Statistics)

catholic church iraq
Exaudi photo

Here are the statistics of the Catholic Church in Iraq as of December 31, 2019 (from the Central Office for Church Statistics), released March 2, 2021, by the Vatican.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Cardinal Sandri: Pope in Iraq, ‘Hope for Martyred Church’   

Table 1 – Population and ecclesiastical structure

Table 2 – People engaged in activities of the apostolate

Table 3 – Indicators of pastoral workload

Table 4 – Priestly vocations

Table 5 – Educational centers owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious

Table 6 – Charitable and social centers owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious

Table 1 – Population and ecclesiastical structure

Area (km2) 438,317
Population (in thousands) 38,836
Density (inhabitants/km2) 89
Catholics (in thousands) 590
Catholics per 100 inhabitants 1.5
Ecclesiastical circumscriptions 17
Parishes 122
Other pastoral centers 12
Catholics per pastoral center 4,406

 

Table 2 – People engaged in activities of the apostolate

Bishops1 19
Diocesan priests 113
Religious priests 40
Total priests 153
Permanent deacons 20
Men religious (other than priests) 8
Professed women religious 365
Members of secular Institutes
Lay missionaries 4
Catechists 632

 


[1] Situation on 31.12.2020

 

Table 3 – Indicators of pastoral workload

Catholics per priest 3,856
Catholics per pastoral worker 491
Priests per pastoral center 1.14
Priests per 100 people engaged in activities of the apostolate 14.3

 

Table 4 – Priestly vocations

Minor seminarians 11
Major seminarians 32
Major seminarians per 100,000 inhabitants 0.08
Major seminarians per 100,000 Catholics 5.4
Major seminarians per 100 priests 20.9

 

Table 5 – Educational centers owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious

Schools:
Pre-school and primary 55
Lower middle and secondary 4
Higher and university 9
Students in:
Pre-school and primary schools 5,464
Lower middle and secondary schools 770
Higher and university institutes 378

 

Table 6 – Charitable and social centers owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious

Hospitals 7
Clinics 6
Leper colonies
Homes for the elderly and disabled 5
Orphanages and nurseries 10
Family consultation centers 1
Special centers of social education or rehabilitation 1
Other institutions 5