The number of Catholics has increased at a faster rate than the rest of the population, newly released statistics by the Vatican reveal. Over the course of nine years, the number of Catholics worldwide has increased by 17.8%, compared to the global population, which increased by 17.3%. From 2005 to 2014, the number of Catholics grew from 1.12 billion to 1.27 billion. These and other statistics, released by the Vatican on Saturday, are contained within the 2016 Pontifical Yearbook and the 2014 Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae. These volumes, compiled by the Central Office of Church Statistics and edited by Vatican Typography, are set to be released in bookshops within days. The books also show changes in the Church’s life over the course of 2015, according to the March 5 statement.