List of popes by country
Updated: 5/20/2026, 8:01:47 PM Wikipedia source
This page is a list of popes by country of origin and nationality. There have been 265 popes, from the continents of Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, and North America. Since the office of pope has existed for almost two millennia, many of the countries of origin of popes no longer exist, and so they are grouped under three periods: the Roman Empire period, the Middle Ages to modernity, and since the creation of Vatican City with the 1929 Lateran Treaty. Countries are listed in chronological order within each section.
Tables
· Statistical overview › Table of popes by country
Africa Province (Roman Empire)
Africa Province (Roman Empire)
Country
Africa Province (Roman Empire)
Number of popes
3
Year of last papacy
496
Croatia (Kingdom of the Lombards)
Dalmatia
Croatia (Kingdom of the Lombards)
Dalmatia
Country
Croatia (Kingdom of the Lombards)
Dalmatia
Number of popes
2
Year of last papacy
642
Judaea Province (Roman Empire)
Byzantine Palestine
Judaea Province (Roman Empire)
Byzantine Palestine
Country
Judaea Province (Roman Empire)
Byzantine Palestine
Number of popes
3
Year of last papacy
649
Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Country
Asia Minor
Number of popes
2
Year of last papacy
705
Roman Greece and Byzantine Greece
Roman Greece and Byzantine Greece
Country
Roman Greece and Byzantine Greece
Number of popes
5
Year of last papacy
687
Roman/Byzantine Syria, and Bilad al-Sham
Roman/Byzantine Syria, and Bilad al-Sham
Country
Roman/Byzantine Syria, and Bilad al-Sham
Number of popes
7
Year of last papacy
741
Austrian part of Holy Roman Empire
Austrian part of Holy Roman Empire
Country
Austrian part of Holy Roman Empire
Number of popes
1
Year of last papacy
999
England part of United Kingdom
England part of United Kingdom
Country
England part of United Kingdom
Number of popes
1
Year of last papacy
1159
Lusitania (Roman Empire) and Portugal
Lusitania (Roman Empire) and Portugal
Country
Lusitania (Roman Empire) and Portugal
Number of popes
2
Year of last papacy
1277
Kingdom of France (medieval)
French part of Holy Roman Empire
Kingdom of France (medieval)
French part of Holy Roman Empire
Country
Kingdom of France (medieval)
French part of Holy Roman Empire
Number of popes
17
Year of last papacy
1378
Spain (Valencia in the Crown of Aragon)
Spain (Valencia in the Crown of Aragon)
Country
Spain (Valencia in the Crown of Aragon)
Number of popes
2
Year of last papacy
1503
Dutch part of Holy Roman Empire
Dutch part of Holy Roman Empire
Country
Dutch part of Holy Roman Empire
Number of popes
1
Year of last papacy
1523
Italian Peninsula (see below)
Italian Peninsula (see below)
Country
Italian Peninsula (see below)
Number of popes
217
Year of last papacy
1978
Vatican City
Vatican City
Country
Vatican City
Number of popes
9
Year of last papacy
current
Poland
Poland
Country
Poland
Number of popes
1
Year of last papacy
2005
German part of Holy Roman Empire
Contemporary Germany
German part of Holy Roman Empire
Contemporary Germany
Country
German part of Holy Roman Empire
Contemporary Germany
Number of popes
4
Year of last papacy
2013
Argentina
Argentina
Country
Argentina
Number of popes
1
Year of last papacy
2025
United States
United States
Country
United States
Number of popes
1
Year of last papacy
current
Total
Total
Country
Total
Number of popes
265
| Country | Number of popes | Year of last papacy |
| Africa Province (Roman Empire) | 3 | 496 |
| Croatia (Kingdom of the Lombards) Dalmatia | 2 | 642 |
| Judaea Province (Roman Empire) Byzantine Palestine | 3 | 649 |
| Asia Minor | 2 | 705 |
| Roman Greece and Byzantine Greece | 5 | 687 |
| Roman/Byzantine Syria, and Bilad al-Sham | 7 | 741 |
| Austrian part of Holy Roman Empire | 1 | 999 |
| England part of United Kingdom | 1 | 1159 |
| Lusitania (Roman Empire) and Portugal | 2 | 1277 |
| Kingdom of France (medieval) French part of Holy Roman Empire | 17 | 1378 |
| Spain (Valencia in the Crown of Aragon) | 2 | 1503 |
| Dutch part of Holy Roman Empire | 1 | 1523 |
| Italian Peninsula (see below) | 217 | 1978 |
| Vatican City | 9 | current |
| Poland | 1 | 2005 |
| German part of Holy Roman Empire Contemporary Germany | 4 | 2013 |
| Argentina | 1 | 2025 |
| United States | 1 | current |
| Total | 265 |
References
- There have been 267 papacies, since Pope Benedict IX (1032–1044; 1045; 1047–1048) was elected pope three times.
- Pope Pius XI, Pope Pius XII, Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope
- The first pope Saint Peter was a native of Bethsaida, in the contemporary Golan Heights.
- No pope was born in Vatican City, all of them are naturalized citizens of Vatican City.
- The current Pope Leo XIV was born in the United States and obtained citizenship with Peru in 2015 and Vatican City in 20
- Pope Leo XIII was born in Rome while it was under Napoleonic French occupation.
- Vicars of Christ: A History of the Popeshttps://books.google.com/books?id=4tbYF51StSQC
- The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/03/13/sorry-jorge-mario-bergoglio-is-not-the-first-non-european-pope/
- The Oxford Handbook of Ecclesiology
- "The Peace of Westphalia and it Affects on International Relations, Diplomacy and Foreign Policy"https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1146&context=the_histories
- International Organizationhttps://web.archive.org/web/20210821173134/https://www.jstor.org/stable/3078632
- Gerhard Jelinek: Mutiger, klüger, verrückter: Frauen, die Geschichte machten, Amalthea Signum Verlag, 2020. (in German)
- Stephan Vajda: Die Babenberger: Aufstieg einer Dynastie, Orac, 1986, p. 26. (in German)
- Ingo von Münch: Die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit. Vergangenheit – Gegenwart – Zukunft. De Gruyter Recht, Berlin 2007, IS
- Vatican Newshttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-02/vatican-city-lateran-treaty-holy-see-pope.html
- A History of Western Societyhttps://archive.org/details/sourcesofwestern0000unse