Holy See

Civitas Vaticana

UN observerSouthern Europe, Europe

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P8030531 Rom. CC BY-SA 2.0 Wikimedia Commons

Population

503

2026 · UN WPPProjection

Life expectancy

83.4 years

2026 · UN WPPProjection

UN WPP 2024 Revision (estimates through 2023; 2024–2100 medium-variant projections). World Bank WDI, 13 July 2026 release. UNDP HDR HDR 2025. UNESCO UIS UIS February 2026. ILOSTAT ILOSTAT December 2025. IMF WEO WEO April 2026. OWID CO₂ OWID CO₂ December 2025.

Overview

Holy See is a UN observer state in Southern Europe, Europe.

UN observer state. ISO VA/VAT, M49 336. Map geometry may use Vatican City.

Every figure names its source, year, and whether it is an actual value, an estimate, or a projection. Missing values stay missing.

Own work. CC BY-SA 4.0

Own work. CC BY-SA 3.0

ISO alpha-2: VA
ISO alpha-3: VAT
UN M49: 336
Wikidata: Q237

People

Population stocks and demographic rates are from the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant unless another source is named. Years from 2024 onward are projections.

PopulationProjection: 503
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Population (1 July)Projection: 506
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Population growth rateProjection: 1.4 percent
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Population densityProjection: 1,151.1 persons per km²
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Holy See’s density is above the Southern Europe median of 105 (17 profiles with 2026 data), and above the median of 90.1 among 195 core profiles with 2026 data. Unweighted medians of the same-year cohort; not a population-weighted world average.
Median ageProjection: 56.2 years
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Holy See’s median age is above the Southern Europe median of 45 (17 profiles with 2026 data), and above the median of 29.8 among 195 core profiles with 2026 data. Unweighted medians of the same-year cohort; not a population-weighted world average.
Population sex ratioProjection: 91.5 males per 100 females
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Total fertility rateProjection: 1 live births per woman
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Holy See’s tfr is below the Southern Europe median of 1.5 (17 profiles with 2026 data), and below the median of 2 among 195 core profiles with 2026 data. Unweighted medians of the same-year cohort; not a population-weighted world average.
Crude birth rateProjection: 4.4 per 1,000 population
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Net number of migrantsProjection: 13
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Net migration rateProjection: 25.7 per 1,000 population
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium

Population of Holy See. Solid line: estimates (1950–2023). Dashed line: medium-variant projections (2024–2100). UN WPP, WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium.

Data table

Year	Population	Status
1950	877	estimate
1960	920	estimate
1970	748	estimate
1980	743	estimate
1990	726	estimate
2000	695	estimate
2010	624	estimate
2020	532	estimate
2030	528	projection
2040	577	projection
2050	707	projection
2060	839	projection
2070	986	projection
2080	1,135	projection
2090	1,272	projection
2100	1,359	projection
2101	1,363	projection

Development

Human development indices are published only from the latest UNDP HDR series. This build does not invent a substitute index.

Human Development Index: No comparable data
No internationally comparable figure in this build.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index: No comparable data
No internationally comparable figure in this build.
Gender Development Index: No comparable data
No internationally comparable figure in this build.
Gender Inequality Index: No comparable data
No internationally comparable figure in this build.
Multidimensional Poverty Index: No comparable data
No internationally comparable figure in this build.

Health and education

Life expectancy and mortality are UN WPP series unless labelled otherwise. Education figures are UNESCO UIS (CC BY-SA, isolated) where a comparable series exists; otherwise they stay missing.

Life expectancy at birthProjection: 83.4 years
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Holy See’s life expectancy is close to Southern Europe median of 82.4 (17 profiles with 2026 data), and above the median of 74.1 among 195 core profiles with 2026 data. Unweighted medians of the same-year cohort; not a population-weighted world average.
Crude death rateProjection: 24.7 per 1,000 population
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Life expectancy at birth (male)Projection: 81.3 years
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Holy See’s life exp. male is close to Southern Europe median of 79.9 (17 profiles with 2026 data), and above the median of 70.9 among 195 core profiles with 2026 data. Unweighted medians of the same-year cohort; not a population-weighted world average.
Life expectancy at birth (female)Projection: 85.4 years
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Holy See’s life exp. female is close to Southern Europe median of 84.7 (17 profiles with 2026 data), and above the median of 77.4 among 195 core profiles with 2026 data. Unweighted medians of the same-year cohort; not a population-weighted world average.
Infant mortality rateProjection: 5.7 per 1,000 live births
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Holy See’s infant mortality is above the Southern Europe median of 3.7 (17 profiles with 2026 data), and below the median of 11.1 among 195 core profiles with 2026 data. Unweighted medians of the same-year cohort; not a population-weighted world average.
Under-five mortality rateProjection: 6.7 per 1,000 live births
2026 · UN WPP · Projection · WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium
Holy See’s u5mr is above the Southern Europe median of 4.4 (17 profiles with 2026 data), and below the median of 12.9 among 195 core profiles with 2026 data. Unweighted medians of the same-year cohort; not a population-weighted world average.
Prevalence of undernourishment: No comparable data
No internationally comparable figure in this build.
Adult literacy rate: No comparable data
No internationally comparable figure in this build.
Youth literacy rate: No comparable data
No internationally comparable figure in this build.
Mean years of schooling: No comparable data
No internationally comparable figure in this build.
School life expectancy: No comparable data
No internationally comparable figure in this build.

Life expectancy at birth in Holy See. Dashed line marks medium-variant projections. UN WPP, WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium.

Data table

Year	Years	Status
1950	65.9	estimate
1960	69.2	estimate
1970	71.5	estimate
1980	74.1	estimate
1990	76.9	estimate
2000	79.3	estimate
2010	81.5	estimate
2020	83	estimate
2030	84	projection
2040	85.3	projection
2050	86.6	projection
2060	87.7	projection
2070	88.8	projection
2080	89.9	projection
2090	91	projection
2100	92	projection

Geography

Region: Europe
Subregion: Southern Europe
Natural Earth ADM0_A3: VAT
Cartographic size: Tiny state on the 50m globe (point or small polygon)
Capital: Vatican City (Seat) — UN observer list; ISO VA/VAT; M49 336

UN observer state. Map geometry may use Vatican City. Statistical coverage is sparse by design.

Outline from Natural Earth 50m Admin 0. Made with Natural Earth. Not a locator map.

Government

Classification is descriptive and is not a recognition of legal claims.Map and status policy.

Status: UN observer
Publication tier: Core profile

UN observer state. ISO VA/VAT, M49 336. Map geometry may use Vatican City.

Sources

United Nations World Population Prospects

WPP2024 Demographic Indicators Medium. Vintage 2024 Revision. CC BY 3.0 IGO. Retrieved 2026-09-03. Source file.

Population (2026, projection; series TPopulation1Jan)
Life expectancy at birth (2026, projection; series LEx)
Population (1 July) (2026, projection; series TPopulation1July)
Population growth rate (2026, projection; series PopGrowthRate)
Population density (2026, projection; series PopDensity)
Median age (2026, projection; series MedianAgePop)
Population sex ratio (2026, projection; series PopSexRatio)
Total fertility rate (2026, projection; series TFR)
Crude birth rate (2026, projection; series CBR)
Crude death rate (2026, projection; series CDR)
Life expectancy at birth (male) (2026, projection; series LExMale)
Life expectancy at birth (female) (2026, projection; series LExFemale)
Infant mortality rate (2026, projection; series IMR)
Under-five mortality rate (2026, projection; series Q5)
Net number of migrants (2026, projection; series NetMigrations)
Net migration rate (2026, projection; series CNMR)

Names, classifications, and boundaries are for statistical and cartographic use and do not constitute recognition of legal claims.