Pope Francis served as pope for just over 12 years, from March 13, 2013, until his death on April 21, 2025.

Quick Scoop: How long did Pope Francis serve?

  • Elected: March 13, 2013, as the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
  • End of papacy: April 21, 2025.
  • Total duration: About 12 years; several analyses note his papacy lasted around 12 years and 39 days.
  • Historical note: That length places him in the range of modern popes with medium‑to‑long pontificates (shorter than John Paul II, longer than several 20th‑century popes).

Timeline in a nutshell

  • 2013: Succeeds Benedict XVI after his resignation, becoming the first pope from Latin America.
  • 2013–2025: Leads the Church with a strong focus on humility, social justice, and care for the poor and the environment.
  • 2025: His death ends a more-than‑12‑year pontificate.

Simple answer

If you’re just looking for the core fact behind “how long did Pope Francis serve”:
He served a little over 12 years as pope, from March 2013 to April 2025.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.