The Central Office of Statistics of the Church has prepared a chart showing the evolution of the Catholic Church in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru between 1980 and 2024, which the Holy See Press Office released on 3 November together with the programme of Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to the three countries, scheduled for 6–17 November. Vatican News has published a summary of those figures.
According to the chart, in 2024 there were about 2.75 million baptized Catholics in Uruguay, 43.17 million in Argentina and 31.07 million in Peru. That represents nearly 77 % of Uruguay’s population, more than 92 % of Argentina’s and more than 91 % of Peru’s. In 1980 the baptized numbered 2.28 million in Uruguay, 25.17 million in Argentina and 16.39 million in Peru.
Baptisms and religious sisters decline in all three countries
Annual baptisms have fallen in each case. In Uruguay they dropped from 41,673 to 11,066, in Argentina from 625,229 to 330,171 and in Peru from 422,782 to 297,722. Professed religious sisters show the same trend: in Uruguay they fell from 1,621 to 436 and in Argentina from 12,446 to 5,921, while in Peru they barely changed, from 4,732 to 4,720.
As for the clergy, Uruguayan priests decreased from 587 to 369 and Argentine priests from 5,450 to 5,137. Peru is the exception, with its priests rising from 2,233 to 3,246. Major seminarians follow a similar pattern: in Argentina they fell from 1,373 to 871, while in Uruguay they rose from 67 to 71 and in Peru from 693 to 864.
More parishes and more students in Argentina and Peru
Parishes have grown in all three countries: from 224 to 238 in Uruguay, from 2,158 to 2,971 in Argentina and from 1,184 to 1,710 in Peru. In education, students in Catholic institutions increased in Argentina, from 925,194 to 1,556,606, and in Peru, from 380,245 to 571,482, while in Uruguay they declined from 90,756 to 72,600.
Social-welfare and charitable institutions show the greatest contrast. In Argentina they multiplied from 738 to 3,345, in Peru they remained almost unchanged (from 1,243 to 1,219) and in Uruguay they fell from 276 to 149.
The journey
Pope Leo XIV will visit Uruguay from 6 to 8 November, Argentina from 8 to 11 and Peru from 11 to 17, marking his first apostolic journey to Latin America. The Holy See has already announced that during the trip the Pope will meet with victims of abuse, and former auxiliary numeraries of Opus Dei have requested an audience during his stay in Argentina.