Cardinal Stats and Charts, Summer 2022

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

As of today (27 Aug 2022, there are be 226 Living Cardinals with 132 eligible to vote in a conclave when that should become necessary.

The average age of the Cardinals is 78.2 and the average of the electors is 72.3 years old.

The average length of service as a Cardinal is 11.2 years, 8.0 years if only considering electors.

The youngest three Cardinals are (all from the group created today):

• Giorgio Marengo, I.M.C., 48.20, Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Virgilio do Carmo da Silva, S.D.B., 54.73, Archbishop of Díli, Timor-Leste.
• Paulo Cezar Costa, 55.08, Archbishop of Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil.

The oldest Cardinal is Alexandre do Nascimento (Archbishop Emeritus of Luanda, Angola) who is 97.5.

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

The charts are:

• Number of Cardinals (1585-2032; 1915-2032; and 1965-2032)
• Average Age (1585-2032; 1915-2032; and 1965-2032)
  

Cardinals Turning 80

When	Cardinal Electors
Now	132
End of 2022	126
End of 2023	115
End of 2024	102
End of 2025	89
End of 2026	84

(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 recent times with the deaths of a number of the elderly Cardinals and a significant number of new creations.

Today, 58.4% are Electors. At the lowest point, it was 51.7% (before the November 2016 Consistory).

Assuming no Cardinal deaths and no new creations, on 30 Jan 2024, Cardinal-Electors will be 50% (113 of 226). A fortnight later it will fall below 50% for the first time ever (112 of 226).

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

Age Limit and 120 Limit on Voting Cardinals

There is a technical limit of 120 voting Cardinals, but it has frequently been exceeded and by every Pope since it was established.

Currently there are 132 voting Cardinals. Assuming no deaths and no new Cardinals creations, the number will back to 120 voting Cardinals on 18 Sep 2023.

(See this link for more information on this topic)