Africa accounts for a small fraction of popes in the history of the papacy as of 2024, with only 3
Key takeaways:
Italy alone accounts for 217 popes, dominating papal history more than any other region or country.
France, the second-most represented, has had only 16 popes, which is fewer than one-tenth of Italy's total.
Germany and Syria have had 6 and 5 popes respectively, reflecting early and medieval Church dynamics.
Africa has had just 3 popes.
Modern nations like Argentina, Poland, and the Netherlands have produced only 1 pope each.
Israel (3), Greece (4), and Turkey (2) are notable for their ancient Christian histories but limited papal presence in modern times.
The history of the papacy has been overwhelmingly dominated by one nation—Italy, which has produced a staggering 217 popes as of 2024. That’s more than all other countries combined, reflecting the historical and geographical centrality of Italy to the Roman Catholic Church.
Beyond Italy, the diversity thins quickly. France, often considered a historical Catholic stronghold, has produced just 16 popes, while Germany follows with 6. Countries like Syria, Greece, and Israel, which played significant roles in early Christianity, have contributed only a few popes each. Notably, Africa accounts for just 3 popes in the entire history of the papacy.
Somalia has the lowest AIDI score in Africa at 7.10, reflecting extremely poor infrastructure across all sectors.
South Sudan (7.38) and Niger (8.12) rank slightly higher, showing similarly weak infrastructure profiles.
Ethiopia (13.09) and the Central African Republic (13.23), though more advanced than others on the list, still score under 15.
Nigeria's AIDI score of 25.70, while not high by global standards, is more than three times higher than Somalia’s, indicating major disparities in infrastructure across the continent.
Goodluck Jonathan's era (2010–2015) delivered the highest AIDI growth, with a CAGR of 6.84%, more than double that of his successor.
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration saw steady but slower growth, with a CAGR of 2.63%, increasing the score from 20.60 in 2016 to 25.70 in 2024.
Musa Yar’Adua’s brief tenure (2007–2010) still managed a solid CAGR of 4.26%, indicating promising momentum that was cut short.
Nigeria's AIDI score rose from 8.61 in 2003 to 25.70 in 2024, nearly tripling in two decades.
Obasanjo’s tenure saw the slowest growth, with only a 2.59% CAGR, suggesting limited infrastructure expansion in the early 2000s.
The fastest absolute annual increase occurred between 2010 and 2014, when scores jumped by over 2 points per year.
Despite steady growth, Nigeria's 2024 score of 25.70 still places it far from top performers in Africa, showing that significant infrastructure gaps remain.
