In truth, "true hard core believing Catholics" are a MINORITY of those who call themselves Catholic worldwide. My future country-in-law of Brazil is supposedly the most Catholic nation on earth by population. I can tell you first hand, however, that the number of "true, orthodox practitioners and believers" is, at best 10-15% of the population, most Brazucas being cafeteria Catholics (just like most "Catholics" here in the northeast).
Can you cite a source substantiating that or is that just an opinion. Are you also basing that on a snap shot view of each Catholic based upon a single day or moment in his/her life? Are you considering Catholics who deviate during their younger years and then return to the Church? I think there are too many variables for you to make that statement, but I will say that what ever the count, observant Catholics are still the largest Christian denomination world wide by a long shot.
My point is that you cannot lump all who proclaim them selves to be Catholic into the same generalization as those who live their faith.
IN any event, what difference does it make that on any given day there may be only 700 million of the 1.4 billion Catholics actually living their faiths. That number still overshadows all other Christian denominations combined.