The Shrine of Fatima welcomed 6.2 million pilgrims in 2024
Last year, the number of organised groups of pilgrims visiting Fatima continued to grow. The top 10 countries of origin cover 3 continents: Europe, America and Asia.
In 2024, the number of pilgrims welcomed at the Shrine of Fatima once again exceeded six million. 6.2 million faithful took part in at least one of the celebrations, the criterion on which the annual register of pilgrims is based. The statistics were presented at the end of the afternoon on Thursday at the 46th Hoteliers' Meeting, which took place at the Paul VI Pastoral Centre.
The number of faithful who visited the Shrine in 2024 shows a decrease compared to the 6.8 million recorded the previous year. However, the year 2023 cannot be analysed without considering the impact of the World Youth Day and the visit of Pope Francis to Fatima. From 24 July to 10 August last year, more than a million faithful visited Cova da Iria. If we take the impact of these significant moments from the statistics of 2023, we can see that in 2024 the Shrine did not experience a decrease in the number of pilgrims, but rather an increase.
In 2024 the Information Centres served 13.6% more pilgrims than in 2023, a total of 415,902 people.
The number of celebrations also increased in 2024. There were 10,813 celebrations organised in the Shrine, 1,256 more than in 2023. The greatest increase was in private celebrations: from 4,939 in 2023 to 6,184 in 2024.
If we look at the organised groups of pilgrims, that is, those who have registered with the Shrine's services, we can see that 5,231 went to Fatima in 2024. This figure represents an increase of 9.5% compared to 2023.
Among the groups registered, we can also see that the Shrine receives more organised pilgrimages from abroad than from Portugal: 1,213 were Portuguese and 4,018 from other countries.
However, the national groups still represent more people: in 2024 they brought 4,035,609 pilgrims, while the foreign groups brought 174,891. It is easy to understand this difference when you consider that a pilgrimage from one diocese can include up to 500 pilgrims.
Faith ignores distances
Among the groups of pilgrims who travelled to Fatima from abroad, 88 countries were represented. This is a slight decrease compared to 2023, when the Shrine received pilgrims from 94 countries. Once again, the effect of the World Youth Day can be seen.
The number of countries in 2024 remains higher than in 2022 and 2019, when there were 76 and 82 countries represented, respectively.
Europe, America, and Asia were the most represented continents in 2024. 54 per cent of the pilgrim groups were European. They came mainly from Spain, Poland and Italy, in that order. We observe an inversion between 2nd and 3rd place.
27% of the organised groups came from the American continent. The United States leads the list. Brazil and Mexico follow, in the same order as last year.
Asia was the third continent with 17 per cent. The largest groups came from the Philippines, South Korea and India, knocking Vietnam from third place. In 2024, it came 4th for Asia.
Looking further back in time, until 2010, we can see that the Shrine received organised groups from three countries for the first time in 2024: Bahrain, Belize and Montenegro.
Regarding Portuguese groups, the dioceses with the highest representation are: Lisbon with 319 pilgrimages that brought 23,069 pilgrims to Fatima; Porto with 190 pilgrimages and 22,229 pilgrims; and Braga: with 124 pilgrimages and 28,909 pilgrims.
What pilgrims do in Fatima
Another relevant statistic is the time of year that groups choose to come to Fatima.
In the case of the Portuguese, we observe that May, October and June, in that order, are the months with the greatest influx of groups. September, however, stands out in terms of the number of pilgrims – 221,083 - which is strongly influenced by the Blessing of the Helmets, which mobilises more and more motorcyclists.
The most popular months for foreign groups are October, September and May, in that order.
Throughout the year, photographic records of the crowds have shown what the Shrine's services confirm, now that the year has been analysed. The pilgrims' favourite things to do in Fatima are, in that order, to attend the Shrine's official Masses and the Rosary, followed by the Candlelight Procession.
In addition to the official celebrations, a significant number of private celebrations also take place at the Shrine.
In 2024, there were 37 marriages, 162 baptisms, and 565 wedding anniversaries: 288 silver, 240 gold and 37 diamond.
Demand for cultural and social activities
Many people also visit Fatima for cultural reasons. The House of Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto was the most popular museum, with 4,116 visitors. It was followed by the House of Lucia, with 22,969 visitors, a surprising number considering that it was closed between 1 January and 4 July for renovation work. The Museum of the Shrine and the two temporary exhibitions that could be visited in 2024 had a combined 283,845 visitors.
2024 was the second year of operation for the Lucia de Jesus Listening Centre, located on the lower floor of the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity.
The number of visitors confirms the need and relevance of this service. 1,903 people were listened to (1,358 women, 545 men). The predominant age group was between 45 and 60.
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