Catholic Church

in

State of Eritrea (Eritrea)

Also known as: Eritrea (Deutsch, español, Italiano), l’Érythrée (français), Erytrea (polski), Eritreia (Português), 厄立特里亞 (正體中文), エリトリア (日本語), Erythræa (latine)

By Type (4)

Metropolitan Sees sui juris Metropolitanate (1)

Episcopal Sees (Dioceses) Diocese (3)

By Rite

Eritrean Church (4): Asmara, Barentu, Keren, Segheneity

by Type | by Name | by Ecclesiastical Province
Changes in Dioceses | Vacant Dioceses | Former Dioceses

Apostolic Nunciature: Eritrea

Council of Churches: Council of the Eritrean Church

International Meeting of Bishops’ Conferences: Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (A.M.E.C.E.A.)

International Meeting of Bishops’ Conferences: Symposium des Conférences Episcopales d’Afrique et de Madagascar (S.C.E.A.M.)

Documents

Geography

Continent: Eastern and Central Africa

Capital: Asmara

Area: 101,000 km²

Population: 5,918,919

Neighbouring Countries: ← Sudan , ↗ Saudi Arabia , → Yemen , → Djibouti , ↓ Ethiopia

Cultural Summary

Religions: Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Languages: Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages

Ethnic Groups: Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5%

Statistics (2023.12.31)

Area: 117,600 km²

Catholic Population: 177,000 Catholics (4.7% of 3,731,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 157 parishes, 89 mission stations (15 with resident priest, 74 without resident priest), 75 other centres

Clergy: 4 bishops (diocesan), 482 priests (99 diocesan, 383 religious), 2 permanent deacons (diocesan)

Non-Clergy: 1,213 religious (95 brothers, 1,118 sisters), 56 members of secular institutes (20 brothers, 36 sisters), 549 major seminarians, 4 missionaries, 189 catechists

Consecrated Persons (Not Ordained)

Seminarians

Lay Missionaries

Catechists

1990Statistics included in Ethiopia

Last updated on 2026.05.28