Cardinal Stats and Charts, Summer 2023 (includes Cardinal-Designates)

This posts assumes that there are no deaths among the current Cardinals or the Cardinal-Designates.

As of today (11 Jul 2023), there are be 222 Living Cardinals with 121 eligible to vote in a conclave when that should become necessary.

The average age of the Cardinals is 79.0 and the average of the electors is 72.6 years old.

The average length of service as a Cardinal is 12.0 years, 8.5 years if only considering electors.

After the next Consistory to Create Cardinals on 30 Sep 2023, there will be: 243 Living Cardinals with 137 eligible to vote in a conclave when that should become necessary.

The average age of the Cardinals will be 78.2 and the average of the electors is 71.6 years old.

The average length of service as a Cardinal will be 11.2 years, 7.5 years if only considering electors.

The youngest two Cardinals are (the only ones under 50):

• Giorgio Marengo, I.M.C., 49.1, Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Américo Manuel Alves Aguiar, 49.6, Auxiliary Bishop of Lisboa {Lisbon}, Portugal.

The latter is one of the Cardinal-Designates.

The oldest Cardinal is Alexandre do Nascimento (Archbishop Emeritus of Luanda, Angola) who is 98.4.

Note a list of the oldest and youngest dozen Cardinals can be found on the main site.

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

The charts are:

• Number of Cardinals (1585-2033; 1915-2033; and 1965-2033)
• Average Age (1585-2033; 1915-2033; and 1965-2033)
  

Cardinals Turning 80

When	Cardinal Electors
Now	121
After New	137
End of 2023	132
End of 2024	120
End of 2025	106
End of 2026	100
End of 2027	87

(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, 54.1% are Electors. At the lowest point, it was 51.7% (before the November 2016 Consistory). After the Consistory, 56.4% will be Electors.

Assuming no Cardinal deaths and no new creations, on 11 Oct 2024, Cardinal-Electors will fall below 50% (121 of 243) for the first time ever.

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 121 voting Cardinals. After the new Consistory, it will be 137. Assuming no deaths and no new Cardinals creations, the number will back to 120 voting Cardinals on 25 Dec 2024.

(See this link for more information on this topic)