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
69.40% 1
Rural
30.60% 1
Immigrants as % of Population
10.8% 2
Level of Public Corruption
131 (1=lowest, 176=highest corruption) 4
Gender Equality in the Economy, Health, Education and Politics
69 (1=most equal, 144=least equal) 7
Fertility Rate
1.53 births per adult woman 5
Children Who Do Not Live to Age 5
0.90% 5
Life Expectancy at Birth
71 years 5
Adult Literacy Rate
99.74% 5
Internet Users
43% 5
Gross National Income per Capita
US$3,560 5
Population Living Below US$1.90 per Day
0.0% 5
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
1 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2018). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision, Online Edition.
2 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2015 revision.
3 United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Homicide Statistics 2015.
4 Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2016.