Korean Catholic Church Statistics

Each year at this time we have Catholic statistics published which are utilized in pastoral work. Both Catholic papers gave a review of the statistics. 

In the year 2017 for the first time the percentage of believers to the total population has risen to 11%. However, the growth rate from 2008 has been steadily decreasing and last year it was only 1.3%. The ratio of believers to the local population was highest in Seoul.

The number of older believers continues to increase. Male believers number 42.5 % and female number 57.5 %. The percentage of female is higher in almost all ages except for the 20 to 24 age group in which men outnumber the women and this is the highest percentage of all age groups in comparison to the women because of the evangelization in the military. Those between 10 and 19 (children and adolescents) accounts for only 6.6 % of the total.

55.8% of the believers live in the metropolitan area. The numbers of those baptized in 2017 totaled  96,649 people a decrease of 12.4 % from the previous year. In the age groups except for the ages of 75 to 79 all the numbers have decreased from the previous year. All the other sacraments have also shown a decrease. The number of marriages continues to decrease; in 2013 for the first times it was under 20,000. 2017 was the lowest with 15,842.  Marriages in society from 2008  have decreased by 19.3 %  but the church marriages decreased 39.5%.

The reception of the Sacraments all show a decrease. Mass attendance increased by 0.9% from the previous year. The Mass attendance has continued to decrease since 2010. Elementary Sunday school attendance decreased 1.2% from last year; middle school 5.9% and high school decreased 9.2%.The number of parish priests in oversea mission has increased 113.5 %.

There are a total of 5360 clergy, two Cardinals, 42 bishops, 5160 Korean priests and 158 foreign priests an increase of 159. Although in certain dioceses an increase is seen, overall there was a decrease.

Korea has 17,176  religious in 176 congregations. The number of male religious is the largest number in the last 10 years but the women are the lowest since 2011.

The number of countries in which the Korean church sent missionaries overseas increased to 82 countries. Over the past decade the  number of missionaries continues to increase with the largest number 109 in the Philippines. There are now 1734 parishes in Korea.