Top Stories 26/04/22 Korean Catholics hit 6 million, confront aging, declining vocation

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South Korea faces a demographic crisis fueled by one of the world’s lowest fertility rates and rising elderly population

In this file photo, Catholics attend mass at Myeongdong cathedral in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. (Photo: AFP)

By UCA News reporter

Published: April 30, 2026 11:07 AM GMT

Updated: April 30, 2026 11:47 AM GMT

The Catholics in South Korea now number 6 million, a milestone reached 50 years after they counted 1 million in 1975, but newer challenges are declining Sunday attendance, religious vocations, and aging.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea released the newest statistics on April 22 based on 2025 data. 

At the end of December 2025, the nation had 6,006,832 Catholics. However, one-third of them (28.9 percent) were 65 years of age or older, the largest age group.

The growth rate has slowed. In 2025, it was 0.2%, lower than the previous year’s 0.5 percent growth.

Sunday participation is also declining in Korean dioceses, except in the Military Ordinariate, which recorded 97% attendance, the majority of whom are soldiers.

Generally, only 15 percent attend Sunday Mass, according to the statistics. It is down from 20.7 percent participation in 2015.

However, Christian feast days — such as Easter and Christmas — recorded attendance of some 25 percent. But five years ago, in 2019, prior to COVID-19, close to 80 percent of Catholics attended these ceremonies. 

Priestly vocations also declined. 

In 2025, the country ordained only 70 priests, down from 121 in 2015, a 42.1 percent decline. Of the 16 dioceses in the country, four — Chuncheon, Wonju, Andong, and Jeju — did not ordain any new priests in 2025.

Seminarians numbered 854 in 2025, which was 45 fewer than the previous year. For four consecutive years, since 2022, fewer than 100 students have joined seminaries.

Similarly, religious vocations also declined. In 2025, the number of male and female religious was 11,170, a decrease of 187 from the previous year. 

The downward trend has continued since 2022. Compared to 2015, female novices decreased by 61.5% and male novices by 40.7%.

In a statistical analysis report, the bishops’ conference identified the milestone of having 6 million Catholics as “the starting point of the challenges facing the Church” and stated that “the recovery of lapsed and inactive believers is an urgent task.” 

“How to invite back into the community those who have been unable to continue their sacramental life… is a pastoral question that can no longer be ignored,” the report said.

Despite being an economic powerhouse, South Korea faces a demographic crisis fueled by one of the world’s lowest fertility rates and an aging population.

The nation recorded a fertility rate of 0.80 in 2025, a slight rise from a record low of 0.72 in 2023. The current fertility rate is below the 2.1 level required to maintain a stable population, experts say.

* This report is a translated and edited version of a Korean-language report first published by Catholic Times of Korea on April 30. Repubished with permission.