VATICAN (CNS): An estimated 33 million visitors and pilgrims came to the Vatican to celebrate the Jubilee Year, exceeding early forecasts, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section for new evangelisation, said at a news conference at the Vatican on January 5.
Archbishop Fisichella, chief organiser of the 2025 Holy Year, said the figure is based on estimates from a study by Roma Tre University, online registrations for the Holy Year, and the number of people who passed through the Holy Doors of Rome’s major basilicas and attended papal events.
By the time the Holy Year ended on January 6, he said, at least 33 million people will have taken part, which breaks down to more than 90,000 people a day. The period with the most pilgrims in Rome was during the Jubilee of Young People from July 21 to August 10, which registered more than 13 million people.
Early estimates had expected that the Jubilee Year would bring 30 million to 35 million visitors to the Vatican. The city saw about 22 million people come to Rome in 2024, Roberto Gualtieri, mayor of Rome, said during the news conference.
Based on data collected solely from registered pilgrims, visitors from the United States ranked second only to Italy, accounting for nearly 13 per cent of the total number of registered visitors, Archbishop Fisichella said. Pilgrims from more than 185 countries participated in the Jubilee Year.
“It is inevitable that such a milestone also brings with it an assessment of this year, which in many respects has been extraordinary. Begun under Pope Francis, the Jubilee concludes under Pope Leo XIV,” the archbishop said. “The funeral [of Pope Francis] and the new election [of Pope Leo] were added to the entire Jubilee programme, showing the whole world the ability to act with determination and confidence amid an exceptional series of events.”
Archbishop Fisichella thanked Rome’s officials for their hard work in supporting the inflow of visitors, and said that the increase also led to increased visitor rates across the city’s tourist sites.
Gualtieri agreed, saying it was a year of unprecedented tourism across the city. To accommodate the Jubilee Year and the influx of visitors, construction crews completed 110 projects across Rome, including the restoration of historic squares, monuments and holy sites.
Vatican leaders have already begun planning the next Jubilee Year, which will take place in 2033 to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
