Demographics of Vatican City

Demographics of Vatican City
PopulationDecrease 764[1] (234th)
 • Year2023
Density4,021/mi2 (1,559/km2) (2nd)
Growth rateDecrease -1.87% (2023)
Birth rateIncrease 36.29 births/1,000 population (2024)
Death rateNeutral decrease 18.15 deaths/1,000 population (2024)
Life expectancyIncrease 84.16 years (2023)[2]
Net migration rate1,000 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024)
Nationality
NationalityVatican
Major ethnic
Language
OfficialItalian, Latin
SpokenItalian, English[citation needed]

The demographics of Vatican City had an estimated resident population of 764 in 2023, including non-citizens. Additionally, 372 Vatican citizens live abroad, primarily diplomats of the Holy See and cardinals in Rome.[1] Vatican City remains the world’s smallest country in both land area and population size.[3]

The population of Vatican City includes clergy, religious members, lay employees of the state (like the Swiss Guard), and their families.[4] In 2013, 13 families of Holy See employees lived in Vatican City,[5] and by 2019, 20 children of Swiss Guards resided there.[6] All citizens, residents, and places of worship are Catholic. The city also hosts thousands of tourists and daily workers.

  1. ^ a b "Population" (in Italian). Vatican City State. 16 March 2024. Archived from the original on 17 May 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  2. ^ Zaheer, Aima (8 January 2024). "30 Places Where People Live The Longest in The World". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Law on citizenship, residence and access" (PDF) (in Italian). Vatican City State. 22 February 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Population" (in Italian). Vatican City State. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019.
  5. ^ MrowiÅ„ska, Alina (26 February 2013). "Behind The Walls: What It's Like To Live Inside The Vatican, For A Woman". NET TV – Catholic TV from the Diocese of Brooklyn. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Raising Children Within the Vatican: Life of a Swiss Guard Family". Pew Research Center. 5 August 2019. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2022.