The First Dozen
| Priests | % | Abbr | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12,808 | 9.5 | S.J. | Society of Jesus |
| 10,698 | 7.9 | S.D.B. | Salesians of Saint John Bosco |
| 9,974 | 7.4 | O.F.M. | Order of Friars Minor |
| 7,026 | 5.2 | O.F.M. Cap. | Order of Friars Minor Capuchin |
| 4,456 | 3.3 | O.P. | Order of Friars Preachers |
| 4,107 | 3.0 | S.V.D. | Society of the Divine Word |
| 4,093 | 3.0 | C.SS.R. | Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer |
| 3,999 | 3.0 | O.S.B. | Order of Saint Benedict |
| 3,100 | 2.3 | O.M.I. | Oblates of Mary Immaculate |
| 3,029 | 2.2 | C.M. | Congregation of the Mission |
| 2,930 | 2.2 | O.F.M. Conv. | Order of Friars Minor Conventual |
| 2,737 | 2.0 | O.C.D. | Order of Discalced Carmelites |
The top 12 largest orders (by number of priests) in total are 51% of all the priests in orders.
The Second Dozen
| Priests | % | Abbr | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,187 | 1.6 | C.S.Sp. | Congregation of the Holy Spirit |
| 2,127 | 1.6 | C.M.F. | Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
| 2,042 | 1.5 | O.S.A. | Order of St. Augustine |
| 1,648 | 1.2 | S.A.C. | Society of the Catholic Apostolate |
| 1,647 | 1.2 | C.P. | Congregation of the Passion |
| 1,632 | 1.2 | C.M.I. | Carmelites of Mary Immaculate |
| 1,620 | 1.2 | S.C.I. | Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart |
| 1,375 | 1.0 | M. Afr. | Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) |
| 1,374 | 1.0 | M.S.C. | Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| 1,316 | 1.0 | O. Carm. | Order of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel |
| 1,272 | 0.9 | M.C.C.I. | Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus |
| 1,003 | 0.7 | Sch. P. | Order of the Pious Schools |
The top two dozen largest orders include all that have more than 1,000 priests and in total represent 65% of all priests in orders.
(Numbers based on the Annuario Pontificio 2011)
