Conclave in numbers: The cardinals choosing the next pope

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Rappler breaks down the demographics of the cardinal electors, including where they’re from and which pope appointed them

All eyes are on the Vatican as the College of Cardinals prepares to convene on May 7 to choose the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, following the death of Pope Francis.

Two cardinal electors, however, cannot participate due to health reasons, the Vatican said, bringing the number of papal voters down to 133, as of April 29.

A two-thirds majority is required to elect a new pope. With 133 cardinal electors, this means the next pope will need to secure 89 votes.

The majority of the cardinal electors — 108 or 80% — were appointed as cardinals by Pope Francis. Twenty-two were named by Pope Benedict XVI, while only five were appointed by Pope John Paul II. 

The College of Cardinals, including both electors and non-electors, remains predominantly European, with 45.2% of its members hailing from the continent. Asia and Africa together account for 26.2%, followed by North America at 14.3%, South America at 12.7%, and Oceania at 1.6%.

Despite this, the group of cardinal electors — those eligible to vote in a papal conclave — has become more geographically diverse throughout the years.

 In the 2005 conclave, 50% of electors came from Europe, then it grew to 52% in 2013. This year, that number has dropped to 39%. 

For 2025, 30% of the cardinal electors came from Asia and Africa combined, a significant growth in numbers from 19% in 2013, and 18% in 2005. 

Asian representation has nearly doubled, rising from 9% in the 2013 conclave to 17%, while Africa now accounts for 13% of the electors, up from 10%. Both regions each made up just 9% of the electors in 2005.

Asia and Africa are places where the Catholic Church is growing as its center of gravity shifts to the Global South.

In total, there are 23 cardinal electors in Asia. India, home to 23 million Catholics, has the highest number of cardinal electors in the said region, with four. Three out of four of them were appointed by Pope Francis. 

Despite having a significantly larger Catholic population of 93 million, the Philippines also has only four cardinals, with three eligible to vote in the next papal conclave: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, and Cardinal Jose Advincula.

The age of the cardinal electors was calculated with May 7, 2025, the start of the conclave, as reference

The responsibility to vote for the next pope is exclusive to cardinals under the age of 80. The average age of the electorate is 70, with nearly 40% aged 75 to 79. 

The oldest cardinal to participate in the conclave is 79-year-old Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, the Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Madrid and ordinary emeritus for the Eastern-Rite faithful in Spain. He was born on May 16, 1945. 

While the youngest cardinal elector is 45-year-old Cardinal Mykola Bychok. He is the Eparchal Bishop of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians (Australia). – Rappler.com