08 December 2019

Cardinal Stats and Charts, 2019

This posts assumes that there are no deaths among the current Cardinals.

As of today (8 Dec 2019, there are be 224 Living Cardinals with 124 eligible to vote in a conclave when that should become necessary.

The average age of the Cardinals is 78.5 and the average of the electors is 71.8 years old.

The average length of service as a Cardinal is 11.3 years, 7.3 years if only considering electors.

The youngest Cardinal is Dieudonné Nzapalainga, C.S.Sp. (Archbishop of Bangui) who is 52.

The oldest Cardinal is Albert Vanhoye, S.J. (Secretary Emeritus of the Pontifical Biblical Commission) who is 96.

I've posted an updated version of the Cardinal Charts (warning: PDF format).

The charts are:
  • Number of Cardinals (1585-2029; 1915-2029; and 1965-2029)
  • Average Age (1585-2029; 1915-2029; and 1965-2029)

Cardinals Turning 80

WhenCardinal Electors
Now124
End of 2020120
End of 2021114
End of 2022103
(the table assumes no deaths nor new Cardinal Electors)




Cardinal-Electors as Percent of the College

With the introduction of the age limit for Cardinals to vote in a conclave, the percent of Cardinals eligible to vote had been trending downward. However, it has rebounded a bit in the last few years with the deaths of a number of the elderly Cardinals and a significant number of new creations.

Today, 55.4% are Electors. At the lowest point, it was 51.7% (before the November 2016 Consistory).

Assuming no Cardinal deaths and no new creations, on 8 Apr 2022, Cardinal-Electors will be 50% (112 of 224). Six days later it will fall below 50% for the first time ever (111 of 224).

Given that deaths of non-Electors are more likely, the dates will likely be later than those given above.