There will be 133 cardinal electors gathered in conclave from 7 May to elect the 267th successor of St Peter. The official number initially stood at 135, but two cardinals — Antonio Cañizares Llovera (Spain) and Vinko Puljić (Bosnia and Herzegovina) — have announced they will not participate due to health reasons. Europe remains the most represented continent, accounting for 39% of the College with 52 Cardinal Electors, but the 2025 Conclave is expected to be the most universal in recent history. Younger Churches in Asia and Africa continue to grow in importance, while the Catholic Church in America retains its dynamic and diverse character. Italy has the largest number of electors: 17 cardinals, representing 12.6% of the total, followed by the United States with 10 and Brazil with 7.
By continent, representation is distributed as follows: Europe 52 electors (39%), Asia 23 (17%), Africa 17 (12.8%), South America 17 (12.8%), North America 16 (12%), and Central America and Oceania with 4 each (3%).
A renewed College. The College of Cardinals has undergone profound changes in recent decades. 108 of the 133 electors (81%) were created by Pope Francis, 20 by Benedict XVI (15%), and 5 by John Paul II (4%). This confirms how much the current College reflects the ecclesiological and geographical priorities of Francis’ pontificate. The average age of the cardinal electors is 70 years, in line with recent conclaves. The youngest elector is 45 and the oldest is 79, both eligible to vote since the exclusion only applies at age 80. However, in addition to Cañizares Llovera and Puljić, Josip Bozanić has also expressed uncertainty about participation due to health concerns.
A global Conclave. Geographical spread is one of the most striking aspects of this conclave. The longest journey will be made by a cardinal from Oceania — Melbourne, to be exact — underlining the truly global nature of the assembly. Though Oceania has only four electors, their presence highlights the reach of the Catholic Church to the edges of the inhabited world. Some European countries, such as Belgium, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Sweden, Serbia, the Netherlands, and Hungary will each be represented by a single cardinal. This testifies to the Church’s enduring presence even in countries where it is a minority. In Asia, India and the Philippines have notable representation, while Africa’s 17 electors come from 15 different countries, many of them experiencing rapid demographic and ecclesial growth.
Europe’s declining dominance. While still the most represented continent with 52 cardinal electors, Europe has seen its share decrease from 52% in 2013 (60 out of 115) to 39% in 2025. This trend reflects the Church’s gradual shift towards the Global South and East. Without abandoning her roots, the Catholic Church is increasingly attuned to a polycentric reality where vitality and growth come from diverse and dynamic communities around the world. The next Pope will emerge from this mosaic of experiences — urban and rural, established and missionary — united by a shared faith and guided by the Holy Spirit.
