How Many People Live in Vatican City?

Vatican City does not function like a typical country with a large permanent population. The state covers just 0.44 square kilometers, and most of the people who keep it running commute in from Rome each day.

As of the latest official figures available in early 2026, the Vatican City State has 673 citizens. Of those, 458 live inside the Vatican walls (including about 120 members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard). Separately, the total number of residents inside Vatican City (citizens and non-citizens combined) is often estimated at roughly 800–900 people.

Vatican citizenship is difficult to obtain because it is not based on birth or birthplace. In practice, it is tied to a role, assignment, or service. Citizenship is typically temporary and ends when the qualifying role ends.

Under Vatican law, citizenship is granted to three main categories of people:

1. The Cardinals resident in the Vatican City State or in Rome
2. The Holy See’s diplomats
3. Persons who reside in Vatican City State by reason of their office or service (including members of the Swiss Guard)

Passports are a common point of confusion. Not every Vatican citizen holds a Vatican City passport, because many people serving the Holy See travel on Holy See diplomatic or service passports. Vatican City passports are generally issued to Vatican citizens who are not traveling in an official Holy See diplomatic capacity.

Although the Vatican workforce is large for such a small territory—around 4,800 employees—the vast majority live in Rome or elsewhere in Italy rather than inside the city-state. Vatican City remains one of the smallest and most tightly controlled countries in the world by both area and resident population.

Author: Kate Zusmann

I have lived in the Eternal City for the past 12 years. They say every angle of Rome has its history, and I'm here to tell you about the most intriguing historical facts and city legends. :)