Vatican City - After three years of surplus, the Vatican's 2007 budget closed with a deficit of nine million euros (14 million dollars), the Holy See said Wednesday.

Income for 2007 amounted to some 236.7 million euros, while expenses totalled some 245.8 million euros, according to figures approved by the Council of Cardinals for the Study of the Organizational and Economic Problems of the Holy See.

The deficit could mostly be ascribed to a decrease of some 12 million euros in the Vatican's financial activities compared to 2006 - a situation largely due to "fluctuating currency exchanges" including the weakness of the dollar against the euro, a Vatican statement said.

In 2007, donations to the Peter's Pence - the collection given directly to the pope for charitable and other activities of his choice - totalled some 79.8 million dollars.

Donors in the United States accounted for some 18.7 million dollars, or over 28 per cent of contributions to the Peter's Pence, followed by those from Italy with some 13 per cent, Germany some six per cent, Spain with around four per cent, France and Ireland with respectively 3.6 and 3.3 per cent, Brazil with 2.18 per cent and South Korea with
1.6 per cent.

The statement said 2,748 people, including 778 bishops and priests, 333 members of religious orders and 1,637 laypeople are employed in the Holy See offices. (dpa)