(ANS – Rome) – The General Secretariat of the Salesian Congregation, led by Fr. Guido Garino, has compiled statistical data on the state of the Congregation at the end of 2025. The information, based on data contained in the “Flash” reports submitted by the 93 secretaries of the Salesian Provinces and Vice-Provinces worldwide and collected through the portal portal.sdb.org, offers a detailed snapshot of the Salesian presence in the 138 countries where the Salesian Family operates.
Congregation Personnel
As of December 31, 2025, the Congregation included a total of 13,444 professed Salesians. With the addition of 114 bishops, the total number of Sons of Don Bosco stands at 13,558.
The breakdown by vocation is as follows:
- Priests: 9,116 (67.81%)
- Clerics: 2,654 (19.74%)
- Brothers (Coadjutors): 1,276 (9.49%)
- Novices: 384 (2.86%)
- Permanent Deacons: 14 (0.10%)
Compared to the previous year, total membership declined slightly (–96 members), due to the number of deaths (233) and departures (264) exceeding new admissions (398 novices and 3 readmissions).
Young Vocations: A Point for Reflection
Particular attention should be given to the younger generations. The 384 novices present at the end of 2025 represent the future of the Congregation. Of those who entered during the year, only 18 left, while four novices from 2024 received an extension of their novitiate.
Those currently in formation include:
- 423 prenovices
- 939 postnovices
- 492 practical trainees
- 757 theology students
- 373 university students
During the year, the Congregation celebrated:
- 364 first professions
- 209 perpetual professions
- 151 priestly ordinations
These milestones reflect a formation journey that continues to bear fruit despite ongoing demographic challenges.
Salesian Houses Worldwide
The total number of Salesian Houses is 1,850. Of these, 1,598 are canonically established with a resident Salesian community, and 119 are not canonically established but maintain a Salesian presence.
Canonical norms require at least four confreres with perpetual vows for canonically established houses and at least three for those that are not canonically established.
The Geography of Salesian Presence
Geographically, India ranks first with 2,742 professed members, followed by:
- Italy (1,704)
- Poland (755)
- Spain (725)
- Brazil (566)
Together, these five countries account for more than 45% of the entire Congregation.
Methodological Notes and Interpretation of the Data
The 2025 data also include corrections to the 2024 “Flash” reports, reflecting the regularization of pending cases and the integration of documents received during the year. The complete data have been processed and organized by province, country, and Salesian Region.
“These statistics are not merely impersonal numbers,” commented Fr. Garino. “They are indicators of the vitality and dynamism the Congregation continues to experience 166 years after its foundation. These data express, as numbers are able, the many dimensions in which the Salesian presence has taken root around the world — becoming a companion to countless people and tracing a path of light that, thanks to God, shows no sign of stopping.”