Faith - Fewer people leaving the Catholic Church in Saxony in 2023
The Catholic Church lost 2986 members in Saxony last year. The statistics published by the German Bishops' Conference in Bonn for 2023 show a total of 141,854 Catholics in the state. The number of church departures was significantly lower than the previous year. However, there were fewer baptisms, first communions, and marriages. On the other hand, there were more confirmations, new and re-admissions, and funerals.
According to the figures, 2877 parishioners turned their backs on their church in 2022, compared to 3862 the previous year. In 2023, 699 people were baptized, 941 went to their first communion, 985 young people and adults were confirmed, and there were 148 marriages and 1075 funerals. 28 people joined the church and 18 returned.
The Catholic population of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen, which extends as far as Eastern Thuringia, decreased by 12,968 within a year to 130,991. There were fewer departures than in 2022, but more losses due to death and fewer baptisms, first communions, and entries - but more confirmations. For the Diocese of Görlitz, the latest statistics show 28,862 Catholics, which is 761 fewer than in 2022. Here, there were 392 departures, an increase of 138, but 240 fewer funerals, and 15 times as many new and re-admissions.
The Evangelical Church in Saxony presented its figures for 2023 at the beginning of May. It lost 10,407 Christians through departure - approximately the same order of magnitude as the previous year - and its membership decreased further to 592,368 Protestants. In the evangelical parishes, fewer children and adults were baptized and received into the church. According to their figures, the church had 628,638 evangelical Christians at the end of the year, a decrease of 18,135.
Detailed church statistics German Bishops' Conference 2023
In the Diocese of Görlitz, located in the southwestern part of Saxony, Germany, the Catholic Church reported a decrease of 761 members, with 28,862 Catholics remaining in 2023.
The Catholic Church in Saxony, specifically the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen, saw a significant drop in its population, losing 12,968 members, leaving 130,991 Catholics in the region.
Interestingly, the city of Görlitz in Saxony, Germany, is home to a notable Catholic Church that has seen a decline in membership, with 2877 church departures in 2022.
The German Bishops' Conference, headquartered in Bonn, published statistics showing that the Catholic Church in Saxony had 141,854 members in 2023, with Dresden and Görlitz being two of its key dioceses.
