Statistics of Catholic Church in Iraq

26 October, 2026

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Exaudi Staff

Leo XIV , Papal Trips

02 March, 2021

1 min

Statistics of Catholic Church in Iraq

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

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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.

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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

Exaudi Staff

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