How many saints are there: updated, complete guide with 5 key facts

how many saints are there

If you have ever wondered how many saints are there, you are not alone. It is a deceptively simple question with a surprisingly complex answer. Depending on whether you look at Roman Catholic canonisations, Eastern Orthodox synaxaria, Anglican calendars, or the broader theological idea of the “communion of saints”, the total varies dramatically. This guide explains the main ways people count saints, why no single number is definitive, and how you can explore the vast and fascinating world of sanctity for yourself.

In everyday conversation, people often expect a straightforward figure. But to give a thoughtful response to “how many saints are there”, you need to understand what the word “saint” means in different Christian traditions, how official lists are compiled, and how historical records evolved. By the end, you will know the best short answer, the richer long answer, and where to find reliable sources if you want to dig deeper.

how many saints are there? The short answer

If you are after a quick, practical reply: in the Roman Catholic Church there are traditionally said to be more than 10,000 canonised saints, with new ones added every year. In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the number also runs into many thousands across multiple regional calendars and synaxaria. In Anglicanism, there is a full calendar of holy men and women commemorated throughout the year. If we use the theological sense—everyone in heaven is a saint—then the true answer to “how many saints are there” is: only God knows.

That short answer is helpful for orientation. Yet to use the question well—how many saints are there as a way into understanding Christian history, memory and devotion—we need more context.

Why there is no single number for how many saints are there

There isn’t one definitive tally because:

• Different traditions define “saint” in distinct ways. The Roman Catholic Church reserves “Saint” for formally canonised individuals; Eastern Orthodox Churches recognise many saints via liturgical calendars; Anglicans commemorate a wide range of holy people without a single universal canonisation process.
• Lists are living, not static. New saints are canonised or added to calendars; historical research sometimes clarifies or merges entries; local cults can grow into wider recognition.
• Ancient records are incomplete. Early martyrs were honoured by local communities before formalised procedures existed, and some names are lost or duplicated under different languages.
• “Saint” is also a theological category. In the New Testament, “saints” can refer broadly to the faithful; in that sense, only God knows how many saints are there in heaven.

Defining “saint”: the key to counting

To understand how many saints are there, first clarify which definition you are using:

1) Canonised Saints (Roman Catholic usage)

These are individuals whom the Church has formally declared to be in heaven and worthy of public veneration worldwide. The process of canonisation has become more structured over time and today involves detailed investigation, verified miracles, and papal approval.

2) Saints in the Eastern Orthodox sense

Orthodox Churches recognise saints through liturgical calendars and synaxaria (collections of lives). Recognition often arises from long-standing veneration, miracles, confession of the faith, or martyrdom. There isn’t one centralised numerical list across all Orthodox jurisdictions, making a precise count difficult but undeniably large.

3) Commemorations in Anglican and other traditions

Anglican Calendars of Saints include apostles, martyrs, reformers and exemplary Christians throughout history. While not “canonised” in the Roman sense, they are publicly commemorated as models of faith. Lutherans and other Protestant traditions may also maintain calendars of commemorations.

4) The theological “communion of saints”

All who are united to Christ—living and departed—can be called “saints” in a broad theological sense. In this view, asking how many saints are there is like asking how many souls are in heaven: it is beyond human counting.

How historians and churches count: paths to answering how many saints are there

To approach the question responsibly, scholars and church officials tend to use one (or more) of the following methods:

• Counting canonised saints listed in official Catholic references such as the Roman Martyrology.
• Summing entries across Orthodox synaxaria and national calendars.
• Reviewing Anglican calendars (e.g., Common Worship) and other Protestant commemorations.
• Distinguishing between universal and local recognition to avoid double counting.
• Accounting for “Blessed” (beatified persons) separately from canonised saints in Catholic usage.

None of these methods yields a final, immutable figure, but together they give a realistic sense of scale: many thousands, across time and place.

The Roman Catholic picture: Martyrologies and canonisations

In the Roman Catholic Church, the closest thing to an official list is the Roman Martyrology (Martyrologium Romanum). It names saints and blesseds commemorated throughout the year. The total number of canonised saints is often said to exceed 10,000, though counting precisely is tricky because revisions, additions and historical clarifications occur over time.

Canonisation, as formalised today, grew from early Christian practices of honouring martyrs locally. Over centuries, the Church developed procedures, culminating in the rigorous modern process overseen by the Dicastery (formerly Congregation) for the Causes of Saints. For more on this process, see the Vatican’s official information on causes of saints, which explains stages such as “Servant of God”, “Venerable”, “Blessed”, and “Saint”.

Another practical route to explore is the Roman Martyrology overview (a useful orientation to its purpose and history). While encyclopaedic resources cannot provide an unchanging headcount, they help show why the number is both large and organically expanding.

The Eastern Orthodox perspective: synaxaria and local vigour

Orthodox Churches maintain rich collections of saintly lives—synaxaria—that span centuries and cultures. Local veneration is deeply valued, and saints can be added to regional calendars following long-standing devotion, miracles or the rediscovery of relics. For a practical browsing experience, the Orthodox Church in America’s “Lives of the Saints” pages offer thousands of entries across the calendar, with biographies and liturgical notes: see OCA Lives of the Saints.

Because Orthodoxy is a communion of autocephalous churches, there is no single, global registry. This means that when we ask how many saints are there in the Orthodox Churches, the answer varies by jurisdiction and language, and the overall total easily reaches many thousands.

Anglican and other traditions: broad commemorations

Anglicanism retains an extensive calendar of saints and commemorations, embracing both early Christian martyrs and notable figures of the Reformation and beyond. While not typically called “canonised” in the Roman sense, these commemorations shape the liturgical year and instruct the faithful. You can get a helpful overview via introductions to the Anglican calendar of saints. Lutherans and other Protestant traditions maintain their own calendars, emphasising exemplary faith rather than a juridical canonisation process.

So, how many saints are there in numbers?

Putting these strands together, here is a balanced summary:

• Roman Catholicism: commonly estimated at more than 10,000 canonised saints, with the official Roman Martyrology listing thousands and growing.
• Eastern Orthodoxy: many thousands across synaxaria and national calendars; there is no centralised count, and new recognitions occur at the local and regional level.
• Anglicans and others: extensive calendars of holy men and women, commemorated liturgically, without a single universal numerical list.

If you mean the theological community of all who are in heaven, then how many saints are there cannot be precisely numbered by humans.

Common pitfalls when asking how many saints are there

• Expecting a single official figure across all Christianity. There isn’t one; traditions differ in definitions and record-keeping.
• Mixing categories. In Roman Catholic usage, Blesseds (beatified individuals) are not yet canonised saints; in casual summaries they are sometimes lumped together.
• Double counting. The same saint may appear under different names (e.g., Latin, Greek or local variants), which can inflate totals.
• Assuming modern canonisations capture all ancient saints. Early martyrs and confessors were often recognised locally long before formal processes existed.
• Overlooking local calendars. Saints venerated in one region may not appear universally in another, especially in Orthodoxy.

Key categories that affect counting

When evaluating how many saints are there, it helps to understand some recurring categories:

Martyrs

Those who died for the faith. In the early Church, martyrs were the first and most widely venerated saints, often remembered by the date of their death (“birthday into heaven”).

Confessors

Christians who suffered for the faith but were not killed, or who lived exemplary holiness. Many early bishops and monastics are honoured as confessors.

Doctors of the Church

A special Roman Catholic title for saints whose teaching is of particular importance (e.g., Augustine of Hippo, Teresa of Ávila). This is a small, distinct subset, useful for study but not directly related to the total of how many saints are there.

Local and national saints

Figures especially associated with a region or people: for instance, Cuthbert in the North of England, or Nino of Georgia. These can appear in national calendars without universal recognition.

From question to practice: how to explore saints without getting lost

Asking how many saints are there can open a lifetime of discovery. Here are practical steps:

1. Define your scope. Are you asking about Roman Catholic canonised saints only? Orthodox saints in a particular jurisdiction? A shared calendar in a given country?
2. Start with an official or widely curated list. For Catholics, explore material related to the Roman Martyrology and the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. For Orthodox readers, browse a reliable synaxarion such as the OCA Lives of the Saints.
3. Use a reputable encyclopaedia to orient yourself. The article on Saint (general overview) offers a broad introduction, links to traditions, and historical context.
4. Avoid over-precise numerics. When you explain to others how many saints are there, give a range and note why exactness is elusive.
5. Read a few biographies. Numbers are interesting, but saints are people. Short lives make the question vivid and meaningful.

Examples that illustrate the counting challenge

• Early Martyrs: Many are known only by first name, place and date of martyrdom. Their remembrance is ancient but sometimes sparse in detail.
• Universal vs Local: Some saints are universal across East and West (e.g., the Apostles), while others are cherished locally and unknown elsewhere.
• Multiple Names: A saint may be known by a Greek, Latin and local name; counting each independently would inflate the total.
• Legendary Groupings: Titles such as “Forty Martyrs of Sebaste” represent multiple individuals under a collective name; depending on method, these may be counted as one commemoration or many persons.

Why the question matters

At first glance, asking how many saints are there is a matter of statistics. But it also raises deeper themes: how communities remember, how holiness is recognised, and how traditions grow. The number—thousands upon thousands—tells us that sanctity is not rarefied or remote; it has touched every language, culture and century of Christian life.

Similarly, the fact that no single list can contain them all invites humility. The lives of saints are more than entries in a ledger; they are stories that shape prayer, liturgy and daily discipleship.

Connections with practice and devotion

For many Christians, the question “how many saints are there” leads naturally to devotion. Liturgical calendars guide prayer throughout the year; local patrons inspire particular communities; and specific devotions keep memory alive. If you are curious about how such practices fit within different traditions, you may find this comparison helpful: differences between Orthodox and Catholic traditions. And if you are exploring Catholic devotional life, you might appreciate the Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer, which expresses trust in God’s mercy that makes sainthood possible.

Recommended external resources

• Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints: process and updates — official information about canonisations and current causes.
• Roman Martyrology (overview) — background on the Catholic Church’s official listing.
• Orthodox Church in America: Lives of the Saints — daily readings and biographies from the Orthodox calendar.
• Encyclopaedia article on “Saint” — a broad primer across traditions.

Related articles

• Orthodox vs Catholic: key similarities and differences
• How to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Frequently asked questions about how many saints are there

Is there an official, universal number of saints?

No. Different Christian traditions recognise saints in different ways. Roman Catholicism has formal canonisations and the Roman Martyrology; the Eastern Orthodox Churches have synaxaria across jurisdictions; Anglicans maintain calendars of commemorations. There is no single, universal list that settles how many saints are there across all Christianity.

How many Catholic saints are there today?

It is commonly estimated that there are more than 10,000 canonised saints in the Roman Catholic Church. The precise number is difficult to state because the Roman Martyrology is periodically updated, the historical record is vast, and distinctions between local and universal recognition can blur.

Do “Blesseds” count as saints when adding up how many saints are there?

In Roman Catholic usage, “Blessed” refers to someone who has been beatified but not canonised. They are honoured locally or regionally. When someone asks how many saints are there in the Catholic Church, a careful answer distinguishes canonised saints from blesseds, though some popular summaries combine them.

What about Orthodox saints—how are they counted?

Orthodox Churches recognise saints through calendars and synaxaria, often at the level of local churches. Because Orthodoxy is not centrally enumerated in this matter, there is no single figure. Across all jurisdictions, the total clearly reaches many thousands. As a practical tool, resources like the OCA’s “Lives of the Saints” provide daily entries and biographies.

Does the Bible use “saint” the same way?

In the New Testament, “saints” frequently refers to Christians collectively. In that theological sense, asking how many saints are there points to a mystery of the communion of saints: all who are in heaven with God. That number is known to God alone.

Conclusion on how many saints are there

So, how many saints are there? If you mean canonised saints in the Roman Catholic Church, the best current way to say it is: more than 10,000, with the Roman Martyrology listing thousands and new canonisations added over time. If you include the saints recognised across the Eastern Orthodox Churches and those commemorated in Anglican and other calendars, the total runs to many thousands more. If you ask the theological question—how many saints are there in heaven—the humble answer is that only God knows.

The most important takeaway is that there is no single, universal headcount. The living traditions of East and West remember saints in different but complementary ways, and historical records keep evolving. Rather than fixating on an exact figure, let the question “how many saints are there” lead you to the lives themselves: martyrs, confessors, teachers, and ordinary believers transformed by grace.

Explore official references, trustworthy calendars and well-curated biographies. As you do, you will find that the real value of asking how many saints are there is not a number on a page, but an invitation to meet the men and women whose faith continues to illuminate the Church and the world.