More Priests in Africa and Asia

The Church's Central Office of Statistics presented the numbers of priests in the world between 2013 and 2018. Here the highlights:

• there are 414’065 priests worldwide: -0,3%.

• there were 43’000 priestly ordinations: America 28,3%; Africa 25,5%; Asia 25,2%; Europa 20,3%; Oceania 0,7%.

• diocesan priests: Africa +16,4%; Asia +10,8%; Latin America +2,2%; Europa -6.7%; Oceania -1,1%

• religious priests: Africa +9,7%; Asia +12,8%; North America -6,7%; Europa -8,3%; Oceania -3,1%

• 39’000 priests died; 6’000 left the priesthood: 81% in America and Europe.

Picture: © Mazur, CC BY-NC-SA, #newsVcemlsigvl