Zagreb, June 25, 2001 (IKA) — The Secretariat of the Croatian Conference of Bishops — Office of Church Statistics, published statistical data for all the dioceses in Croatia for the year 2000. According to the collected statistics, in 2000 there were 3,837,785 Catholics, i.e. 73% of the total population. In 1998, there were 1,544 parishes in Croatia. In 1999, there were 1,551 parishes and in 2000 the number increased to 1,583. Since 1998, six parishes have been established in the Zagreb Archdiocese and the Varaždin Diocese, so that in 2000 the Zagreb Archdiocese had 300 and the Varaždin Diocese 105.
In the year 2000, the dioceses in Croatia had a total of 255 secondary school students in seminaries (for the 2000/2001 academic year), of whom 85 had been accepted at the beginning of the academic year. In the academic year 1999/2000, 41 secondary school students graduated from seminaries. During the academic year 2000/2001, the dioceses had 265 college-level students of theology, of whom 48 were studying in foreign countries. Last year, 35 diocesan priests and 21 religious were ordained. In 2000, the Zagreb Archdiocese had a total of 386 incardinated priests, followed by the Split-Makarska Archdiocese with 230 priests and the Đakovo and Srijem Diocese with 228. At the bottom of the list were the Hvar Diocese with 37 priests, the Šibenik Diocese with 34 and the Military Ordinariate with 2. There was a total of 1,603 incardinated priests in the dioceses in 2000. In 2000, the Zagreb Archdiocese had a total of 652 diocesan priests and religious who were actively engaged within its territory. There were 366 in the Split-Makarska Archdiocese and the Đakovo and Srijem Diocese had 257. The dioceses with the lowest number of priests engaged within their territories were Hvar — 48, Gospić-Senj — 47 and the Military Ordinariate — 28.
Statistical data record an alarming drop in the number of baptisms, confirmations and church weddings. Although there were 50,761 christenings in 1998, in the year 2000 this number dropped to 43,073. In 1998, the sacrament of confirmation was received by 54,021 confirmands, while in 2000 there were 44,724. In the year 2000, a total of 17,559 church weddings were performed, of which 16,303 were between two Catholics, 567 between Catholics and baptized non-Catholics and 689 between Catholics and non-Christians. In 1998, there was a total of 19,231 church weddings, of which 18,118 were between two Catholics, 495 between Catholics and baptized non-Catholics, and 515 between Catholics and non-Christians. In 2000, 44,130 Catholics received church burials, of whom 19,135 had died unexpectedly.