The most notable growth in Catholics is in Africa, with an increase of 8,309,000; and the Americas with 5,668,000; followed by Asia with 954,000; Europe with 740,000; and Oceania with 210,000.
For a while now, I've doubted all these statistics that show the world population increasing while at the same time in the majority of nations there has been a severe drop in birth rates to the point that many are in demographic free fall - even China that used to be the most populated country with over a billion and enforced a draconian 'one-child' policy with forced abortion. So where are all these people? Or is it a ruse to brainwash us to believe in the "population bomb' that will destroy the world like was shown in sci-fi movies of the 70s such as Soylent Green?