The Latin Rite Catholic Diocese of Palmerston North is a suffragan Diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington. It was formed on 6 March 1980 when the Archdiocese was divided. The Diocese has an area of area 36,200 km² and had, in 2011, 59,099 Catholics, 58 Priests, 141 Religious and a total population of 470,000 people.