Knelstrom Intelligence · World Factbook
Vatican City
Status Civitatis Vaticanæ
Country facts
Overview
Background
Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, threats against minority Christian communities in Africa and the Middle East, the plight of refugees and migrants, climate change and the environment, conflict and war, nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence, sexual misconduct by clergy, humanitarian issues, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1.3 billion people worldwide profess Catholicism, the world's largest Christian faith.
Geography
Location
Map references
Area
land: 0.44 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
Land boundaries
border countries: Italy 3.4 km
Coastline
Maritime claims
Climate
Terrain
Elevation
lowest point: Saint Peter's Square 19 m
Natural resources
Land use
forest: 0% (2022 est.)
other: 100% (2022 est.)
Natural hazards
Geography - note
Population & Society
Nationality
adjective: none
Ethnic groups
Languages
major-language sample(s): L'Almanacco dei fatti del mondo, l'indispensabile fonte per le informazioni di base. (Italian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Population growth rate
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
Migration & Displacement
Immigrant/emigrant stock measures the number of international migrants resident in, or originating from, the country; it is not the same as annual immigration/emigration flows.
Government & Politics
| Office | Holder | Affiliation | From | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head of state | Leo XIV | — | 2025-05-08 | Current | Reported |
| Head of government | Raffaella Petrini | — | 2025-03-01 | Current | Reported |
Country name
conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City)
local long form: La Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano)
local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)
etymology: "holy" comes from the Greek word hera, meaning "sacred"; "see" comes from the Latin word sedes, meaning "seat," and refers to the episcopal chair; the name Vatican derives from the hill Mons Vaticanus on which the Vatican is located and which comes from the Latin vates (prophet), referring to the fortune tellers and soothsayers who frequented the area in Roman times
Capital
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 27 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
etymology: the name derives from the hill called Mons Vaticanus, on which the Vatican is located and which comes from the Latin vates (prophet), referring to the fortune tellers and soothsayers who frequented the area in Roman times
Legal system
Constitution
amendment process: although the Fundamental Law of Vatican City State makes no mention of amendments, Article Four (drafting laws), states that this legislative responsibility resides with the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State; draft legislation is submitted through the Secretariat of State and considered by the pope
International law organization participation
Citizenship
citizenship by descent only: no
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: not applicable
note: note: in the Holy See, citizenship is acquired by law, ex iure, or by adminstrative decision; in the first instance, citizenship is a function of holding office within the Holy See as in the case of cardinals resident in Vatican City or diplomats of the Holy See; in the second instance, citizenship may be requested in a limited set of circumstances for those who reside within Vatican City under papal authorization, as a function of their office or service, or as the spouses and children of current citizens; citizenship is lost once an individual no longer permanently resides in Vatican City, normally reverting to the citizenship previously held
Suffrage
Executive branch
head of government: President of the Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City and President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State Fernando VERGEZ ALZAGA (since 1 October 2021)
cabinet: Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City appointed by the pope
election/appointment process: pope elected by the College of Cardinals, usually for life or until voluntary resignation; Secretary of State appointed by the pope
election results: 2025: Robert PREVOST elected Pope LEO XIV
Legislative branch
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 7
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 22 September 2018
percentage of women in chamber: 0%
Judicial branch
judge selection and term of office: cardinal prefect appointed by the pope; the other 2 cardinals of the court appointed by the cardinal prefect on a yearly basis
subordinate courts: Appellate Court of Vatican City; Tribunal of Vatican City
note: note: the Motu Proprio (papal directive) of Pope PIUS XII established judicial duties on 1 May 1946; most Vatican City criminal matters are handled by the Republic of Italy courts
Political parties
Diplomatic representation in the US
chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121
FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036
email address and website: nuntiususa@nuntiususa.org
http://www.nuntiususa.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: Via Sallustiana, 49, 00187 Rome
mailing address: 5660 Holy See Place, Washington DC 20521-5660
telephone: [39] (06) 4674-1
FAX: [39] (06) 4674-3411
email address and website: https://va.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
Independence
note: note: the three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged the full sovereignty of the Holy See and established its territorial extent, but the origin of the Papal States, which over centuries varied considerably in extent, can be traced back to A.D. 754
Flag
meaning: yellow stands for the pope's spiritual power, and white for his worldly power
National symbol(s)
National color(s)
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Raffaello LAVAGNA/Charles-Francois GOUNOD
history: adopted 1949
National heritage
selected World Heritage Site locales: Historic Center of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura; Vatican City
Government & Official Links
| Institution | Official website | X / Twitter | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vatican City official website | Official website | — | Reported · source Checked September 20, 2026 |
Institutional accounts only; personal accounts of political office-holders are excluded.
Legislature & Elections
Legislature
| Name | Chamber | Seats | Electoral system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State | — | 7 | — |
Economy
Economic overview
Industries
Exchange rates
Exchange rates 2024: 0.924 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 0.925 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 0.95 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 0.845 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 0.876 (2020 est.)
note: note: while not an EU member state, the Holy See has a 2000 monetary agreement with Italy and the EU to produce limited euro coinage—but not banknotes—that began enforcement in January 2002
Trade
No trade data is currently available for this country.
Energy & Resources
Electricity access
Infrastructure
No infrastructure data is currently available for this country.
Health
No health data is currently available for this country.
Education
No education data is currently available for this country.
Rights, Freedoms & Society
LGBTQ+ Rights & Law
Concrete legal-status fields only; Knelstrom does not generate an LGBTQ rights score or country ranking.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country or territory (CC BY-SA 4.0). Community-edited legal-status summary; retrieved by Knelstrom and not legal advice.
Crime & Justice
Legal system
Judicial branch
judge selection and term of office: cardinal prefect appointed by the pope; the other 2 cardinals of the court appointed by the cardinal prefect on a yearly basis
subordinate courts: Appellate Court of Vatican City; Tribunal of Vatican City
note: note: the Motu Proprio (papal directive) of Pope PIUS XII established judicial duties on 1 May 1946; most Vatican City criminal matters are handled by the Republic of Italy courts
Military & Security
Military and security forces
note: note: the Swiss Guard Corps has protected the Pope and his residence since 1506
Military service age and obligation
Military - note
International Relations
International law organization participation
Diplomatic representation in the US
chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121
FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036
email address and website: nuntiususa@nuntiususa.org
http://www.nuntiususa.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: Via Sallustiana, 49, 00187 Rome
mailing address: 5660 Holy See Place, Washington DC 20521-5660
telephone: [39] (06) 4674-1
FAX: [39] (06) 4674-3411
email address and website: https://va.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
Treaties & Organisations
International law organization participation
International organization participation
Transportation & Logistics
Heliports
Environment
Environmental issues
International environmental agreements
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification
Climate
Land use
forest: 0% (2022 est.)
other: 100% (2022 est.)
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Communications & Media
Broadcast media
Internet country code
Internet users
Historical Trends
International emigrant stock
Source: World Bank WDI. Historical observations shown by reference period.
View International emigrant stock data table
| Period | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 22 | un_migrant_stock_2024 |
| 1995 | 30 | un_migrant_stock_2024 |
| 2000 | 41 | un_migrant_stock_2024 |
| 2005 | 52 | un_migrant_stock_2024 |
| 2010 | 74 | un_migrant_stock_2024 |
| 2015 | 128 | un_migrant_stock_2024 |
| 2020 | 284 | un_migrant_stock_2024 |
| 2024 | 313 | un_migrant_stock_2024 |
Sources & Methodology
Current statistical observations include their reference period and provenance. Reference fields from approved source datasets are attributed below. Missing information is left unknown rather than inferred.
| Indicator | Value | Period | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wikidata population (fallback) | 882 | 2024 | Wikidata | Reported |
| International emigrant stock | 313 | 2024 | UN DESA International Migrant Stock 2024 | Estimated |
| Same-sex sexual activity | Yes Legal since 1890 (As part of Italy) | current | Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country or territory | Reported |
| Recognition of same-sex relationships | No | current | Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country or territory | Reported |
| Same-sex marriage | No | current | Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country or territory | Reported |
| Same-sex adoption | No | current | Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country or territory | Reported |
| Open military service | Has no military | current | Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country or territory | Reported |
| Sexual-orientation anti-discrimination law | No | current | Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country or territory | Reported |
| Latitude (Wikidata) | 41.9040° | current | Wikidata | Reported |
| Longitude (Wikidata) | 12.4530° | current | Wikidata | Reported |
| Time zone | Central European Time, UTC+01:00, Europe/Vatican | current | Wikidata | Reported |
| Form of government | papacy, theocracy, constitutional monarchy | current | Wikidata | Reported |
Data attribution
Credits below are generated from sources actually used by this country profile. Source-specific terms take precedence.
- CIA World Factbook, final 2025 country profile (structured via factbook.json). Accessed September 20, 2026. U.S. Government public-domain data; retained as a reference source where a newer approved field is not available. Source · Terms/licence
- United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, International Migrant Stock 2024; data access/processing via Our World in Data. Accessed September 20, 2026. Underlying UN dataset used under CC BY 3.0 IGO. Source · Terms/licence
- United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, World Population Prospects (WPP indicator 49 availability) Accessed September 19, 2026. Used under CC BY 3.0 IGO; current-year WPP population values are presented as estimates/projections where applicable. Source · Terms/licence
- Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), Country-Year Dataset v16 (variables: availability) Accessed September 20, 2026. Used under CC BY-SA 4.0; V-Dem measures are expert-coded/modelled and no V-Dem endorsement is implied. Source · Terms/licence
- Wikidata structured data (CC0). Accessed September 20, 2026. Attribution is provided by Knelstrom for provenance although CC0 does not require it. Source · Terms/licence
- Wikipedia, “LGBTQ rights by country or territory” (source revision/data fields: Wikipedia revision 1374406645 — Open military service, Wikipedia revision 1374406645 — Recognition of same-sex relationships, Wikipedia revision 1374406645 — Same-sex adoption, Wikipedia revision 1374406645 — Same-sex marriage, Wikipedia revision 1374406645 — Same-sex sexual activity, Wikipedia revision 1374406645 — Sexual-orientation anti-discrimination law) Accessed September 20, 2026. Used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Knelstrom changes formatting and presents the imported material as a community-edited legal-status summary, not legal advice or a Knelstrom rights score. Source · Terms/licence
Knelstrom does not imply endorsement by any listed data provider.
Last automated statistical refresh: 2026-09-20 00:08:54
