 The "ideal" size parish is a subject of debate.According to a study by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, the average parish in the United States grew in size from 2,260 parishioners in 2000 to 3,277 in 2010

The number of parishes, similarly, varies widely from diocese to diocese.As of December 2012 there were 221,740 parishes, among total 456,503 pastoral centers in the world.