Ukraine, the second largest country in Europe, is home to three Catholic Churches—two Byzantine rite and one Latin rite—and two Orthodox Churches. The largest Catholic Church by far is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), which is strongest in the western part of the country once known as Galicia. In the southwest, below the Carpathian mountains, the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church is the dominant Catholic Church.
Catholic Churches have been rebuilding in Ukraine since their suppression by the Soviets from 1946-1989. The two Byzantine rite Churches have emerged in the strongest positions. The Byzantine liturgical and spiritual tradition, and Ukrainian culture more broadly, have given rise to a distinctive and deeply rooted Catholic culture. Read more...
National Demographics
Religious Affiliation
Chart source: Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 2010
Total Population
44,009,214 1
Urban
69.4% 1
Rural
30.6% 1
Immigrants as % of Population
11.4% 2
Homicides
3.84 per 100,000 people (global median: 5.8) 3
Level of Public Corruption
36 (100 is very clean, 0 is highly corrupt) 4
Fertility Rate
1.30 live births per woman 5
Under-Five Mortality Rate
8.00 deaths per 1,000 live births 5
Life Expectancy at Birth
72 years 5
Adult Literacy Rate
99.74% 6
Internet Users
79% 6
GDP per Capita
US$3,659 5
Population Living Below US$2.15 per Day
0.0% 7
Gender Gap Ranking based on economy, health, education, and politics
66 (146 is the lowest ranked country; 1 is the highest ranked country) 8
Religious Freedom: Government Restrictions Index (GRI)
4.1 - Moderate
Religious Freedom: Social Hostilities Index (SHI)
4.7 - High
- 1 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision, Online Edition (New York: United Nations, 2018).
- 2 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, International Migrant Stock 2020 (New York: United Nations, 2020).
- 3 Data as of 2021. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, "Intentional Homicide," United Nations, Accessed April 9, 2024; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Global Study on Homicide 2023 (Vienna: United Nations, 2023).
- 4 "2023 Corruption Perceptions Index," Transparency International, Accessed April 9, 2024.
- 5 United Nations Children's Fund, The State of the World's Children 2023 (Florence: UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, 2023).
- 6 International Telecommunication Union, "Individuals using the Internet (% of population)," The World Bank, Accessed April 24, 2024.
- 7 Poverty and Inequality Platform, "Poverty headcount ratio at $2.15 a day (2017 PPP) (% of population)," The World Bank, Accessed April 24, 2024.
- 8 World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report 2023 (Geneva: World Economic Forum, 2023).
- 9 As Pew describes it, "Government restrictions on religion include laws, policies and actions that regulate and limit religious beliefs and practices. They also include policies that single out certain religious groups or ban certain practices; the granting of benefits to some religious groups but not others; and bureaucratic rules that require religious groups to register to receive benefits." As noted on pp. 45-47 of the report, the index summarizes data from 19 sources. The index does not differentiate whether the laws are directed toward Catholics. Pew Research Center, Globally, Government Restrictions on Religion Reached Peak Levels in 2021, While Social Hostilities Went Down (Pew Research Center, 2024).
- 10 As Pew describes it, "Social hostilities include actions by private individuals or groups that target religious groups; they also include actions by groups or individuals who use religion to restrict others. The SHI captures events such as religion-related harassment, mob violence, terrorism/militant activity, and hostilities over religious conversions or the wearing of religious symbols and clothing." As noted on pp. 45-47 of the report, the index summarizes data from 19 sources. The index does not differentiate whether the hostilities are directed toward Catholics. Pew Research Center, Globally, Government Restrictions on Religion Reached Peak Levels in 2021, While Social Hostilities Went Down (Pew Research Center, 2024).
Catholic Demographics
These statistics are derived from the Vatican's official publication, Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2020 (Vatican City: Librera Editrice Vaticana, 2022). The numbers may differ from data reported by other sources on this site.
Baptized Catholics
4,829,000
Baptized Catholics as % of Total Population
11.52
Baptisms per Year (Under age 7)
31,393
Baptisms per Year (Over age 7)
330
First Communions per Year
29,768
Confirmations per Year
31,919
Students Enrolled in Catholic Primary Schools
654
Students Enrolled in Catholic Secondary Schools
1,003
Students Enrolled in Catholic Higher Education
1,454
Church Marriages per Year
12,289
Church Marriages in Which Both Spouses are Catholics
10,640
Priests
4,084
Women Religious (Nuns & Sisters)
1,175
Catholics per Priest
1,182
Parishes
4,282
Mission Stations (no resident priests)
3
Catholic Hospitals
16
Homes for Aged, Handicapped, Invalids
18
