” “In the two years from 2004 to 2005, the number of both diocesan and religious priests it is written in the Pontifical Yearbook 2007, – went from 405,891 to 406,411, with a 0.13% increase. That is a world datum, but in relation to single geographic areas, the variations were different: on one hand, in Asia and Africa there were remarkable increases, by 3.80% and 3.55%, respectively, but on the other hand, Europe and America decreased by about one half percent; as for Oceania, there was a 1.8% decrease. "Little changes" also happened in the percentage distribution of priests per continent, relating to the two years in question. On the whole, in 2004 Africa and Asia contributed by 19.58% of the world total; in 2005, their quota went up to 20.28%. In time, America keeps a fraction of about 29.8%, while Oceania remains relatively stable, with its quota slightly exceeding 1%. The only continent whose quota decreased was Europe: in 2004, the 199,978 European priests represented nearly 49.3% of the whole ecclesiastical group, while one year later they went down to 48.8%. In 2005, out of 100 candidates to priesthood all over the world, 32 were Americans, 26 from Asia, 21 from Africa, 20 from Europe and 1 from Oceania.” “
