Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life have steadily increased over the past few years in Africa and Asia, while a gradual decrease is being observed in Europe and on a lesser scale, in the Americas and Oceania.
According to the most recent edition of the official “Yearbook of Church Statistics” (updated December 31, 2005), the total number of priests in the world was 406,411; religious who are not priests, 54,708; religious women, 760,529; seminarians (major seminaries, diocesan, and religious), 114, 439; minor seminarians (including diocesan and religious), 102,042.
Observing the statistics from 1997 to 2005, in a study performed by the Agenzia Fides, we can note that there has been a global increase in the number of priests (marked by a constant increase in diocesan priests and a decrease in religious priests), a decrease in the number of religious who are not priests, as will as in the number of religious women, an increase in major seminarians and a decrease in minor seminarians.
In 1997, the number of priests in the world was 404,208 while in 2005, it was 406,411 (diocesan priests: 263,521 in 1997, 269,762 in 2005; religious priests: 140,687 in 1997, 136,649 in 2005); religious who are not priests have decreased from 58,210 (1997) to 54,708 (2005); women religious have gone from 819,278 (1997) to 760,529 (2005); major seminarians were 108,017 in 1997 and are now 114,439 (2005); minor seminarians have gone from being 106,210 (1997) to 102,042 (2005).
Observing the continental distribution, there have been decreases mainly in Europe, the Americas, and Oceania.
In Europe, the number of priests has dropped from 213,398 (1997) to 198,279 (2005); the religious non-priests went from 24,460 to 19,574; the religious women have gone from 388,693 to 322,995. Major seminarians have gone from being 27,853 (1997) to 22,958 (2005) and minor seminarians, from 17,541 to 13,357.
In the Americas, the number of priests has experienced a slight increase, going from 120,013 (1997) to 120,995 (2005); the religious who are not priests have decreased from 17,426 to 16,457; religious women have gone from 240,858 to 215,372. Major seminarians have gone from being 34,947 (1997) to 36,891 (2005), and the minor seminarians, from 22,425 to 17,288.
Oceania had 5,077 priests in 1997, but only 4,714 in 2005; the 11,904 women religious dropped to become 9,909 and the religious (not priests) have gone from 1,967 to 1,563. Major seminarians numbered 797 and are now 944, the minor seminarians were 446 and now number 348.
However, in Africa and Asia, there has been a steady increase in the number of vocations to the consecrated life from 1997 to 2005.
The number of priests in Africa have gone from 25,279 (1997) to 32,370 (2005) and in Asia, from 40,441 to 50,053. The religious (not priests) in Africa were 7,083 and are now 7,948. In Asia they have gone from 7,274 to 9,166. The number of women religious in Africa has gone from 49,854 (1997) to 58,781 (2005), and in Asia, they have gone from 127,969 to 153,472.
Major seminarians in Africa were 19,078 (1997) and are now 23,580 (2005), while in Asia there was a growth from 25,342 to 30,066. For the minor seminarians, there was an increase in both continents: in Africa, from 43,469 to 47,241and in Asia, from 22,329 to 23,808. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 11/4/2008; righe 47, parole 552)
