(ZENIT News / Rome, 03.27.2025).- The Catholic Church in Germany continues to experience a significant decline in membership, with official figures showing a drop of over half a million members in just one year. According to preliminary data released by the German Bishops’ Conference and the country’s 27 dioceses and archdioceses, the Catholic population fell from 20,345,872 in 2023 to 19,769,237 in 2024. This shift means that Catholics now make up 23.7% of Germany’s total population of 83.6 million, down from 24% the previous year.
The decline in numbers is largely attributed to demographic trends, decreasing religious engagement, and ongoing fallout from abuse scandals that have shaken trust in the institution. However, amid the downward trend, there are also signs of stability and even modest growth in certain areas of church life.
Sacramental participation has also seen declines, with baptisms dropping from 131,245 in 2023 to 116,222 in 2024. Church weddings also fell, with 22,504 couples choosing a Catholic marriage ceremony compared to 27,565 the previous year.
However, there were small but notable increases in other aspects of church participation. The number of children receiving First Communion in 2024 rose slightly from 151,835 to 152,280. More significantly, regular Mass attendance saw a modest uptick, climbing from 6.2% to 6.6%—a continued recovery after reaching a low of 5.7% in 2022.
Additionally, while the number of people formally leaving the Church remains high, there is a clear downward trend. In 2024, 321,611 individuals officially left Catholicism, compared to 402,694 the year before and an all-time high of 500,000 in 2022. The latter figure was strongly influenced by a high-profile report on clergy abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, which triggered widespread disillusionment.
Despite the ongoing exodus, there has been a slight rise in people joining or returning to the Church. In 2024, 1,839 individuals formally entered the Catholic Church, up from 1,559 the previous year. Meanwhile, 4,734 former Catholics were readmitted, compared to 4,127 in 2023. While these numbers are small in comparison to the losses, they indicate that some are still finding renewed faith in the institution.
As membership declines, the Church continues its efforts to restructure. The number of parishes in Germany was reduced from 9,418 in 2023 to 9,291 in 2024, reflecting efforts to consolidate resources and adapt to the shrinking number of practicing Catholics.
The clergy shortage remains a pressing issue. Only 29 new priests were ordained in 2024, down from 38 the previous year, a trend that mirrors broader difficulties in attracting vocations across Western Europe.
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