As of early 2026, there are about 245 cardinals in the Catholic Church, of whom around 121 are eligible to vote in a papal conclave.

Quick Scoop: Key Numbers

  • Total number of cardinals worldwide: 245.
  • Cardinals under 80 (eligible to vote for a new pope if a conclave were held): 121.
  • Cardinals are appointed by the pope and normally serve for life, but lose voting rights at age 80.

A Bit of Context

Cardinals collectively form what is called the College of Cardinals , which is the body that would gather in a conclave to elect a new pope when the papal office is vacant. Not all cardinals are voters, but all living cardinals count in the overall total number you’re asking about.

In short: if you simply want “how many cardinals are there in the Catholic Church right now?”, the best current figure is 245 cardinals worldwide.

TL;DR: There are currently about 245 Catholic cardinals worldwide , with roughly 121 of them young enough (under 80) to vote in a conclave.

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