The number of Germans who are a member of the Protestant or Catholic Church, back in 2017. Experts familiar with in addition to the demographic change even more reasons.
The two large Christian churches in Germany are shrinking slowly, but they continue to shrink. On Friday, the Catholic and the Protestant Church published its membership figures for 2017. For both denominations the following applies: The number of members is low.
The number of Catholics in Germany has declined by around 23.6 million in 2016, to around 23.3 million in 2017. The number of Protestants decreased from about 21.9 million in 2016, to around 21.5 million in 2017. The most recent Figures are part of a long trend that shows since the reunification of Germany in the same direction: downward continued.
The main reason for the decline is the demographic change and the Ageing of the members. Both the Catholics and the Protestants more and more members die each year, as a new offspring. So 390.000 members died in the last year in the Evangelical Church, but only about 180,000 people were received by baptism into the Church community.
A reason for the age structure consists in the difficulty of younger people. “A lot of younger people come to the Church life because they are not socialized in a Christian and educated”, says Olaf Müller, a researcher at the cluster of excellence Religion and politics at the University of Münster. “The result of this is that you will find then later on the way to the churches.”
Alien Rites
Almost half of Germany, almost 43 per cent, according to Church statistics as an Atheist or a different religion than Catholic or Evangelical. The number of these people is growing, not only because fewer young people would be a member of one of the churches and the older members of the Church verstürben. Also, spills are another Problem for both denominations.
“The number of Church dropouts hurts,” commented the Secretary of the German bishops ‘ conference, Hans long villages, the most recent numbers of members, the Friday have been released. “We want to understand why people in the Church find no place for their life orientation and their Faith.”
The explanation of religion researchers, Olaf Müller, is that the majority of people who leave deliberately out of the Church, were specifically dissatisfied with their Church or their Pastor. Instead, studies have shown that many could start with the Church’s rituals and Teachings, nothing more.
Poland as a counter-example
A third point, the experts make up for the decline in the number of Church members responsible, are the social developments that change, not only in Germany but also in many other Western countries, the life.
“This, accompanied by the fact that the people of Religion need to be a part of individualization and rising affluence,” says Müller. In addition, the people of today had more opportunities to spend your free time than a generation ago. The worship was no longer the only Forum to meet his friends.
In the Polish town of Swiebodzin, the 32 meters is the highest Statue of Christ in the world
However, there are exceptions that contradict the Trend. “Where Religion and the Church shape a strong national identity”, are also more people members of the Church,” Müller explains, and describes Poland as an example.
Important part of the civil society
But in Germany, too, there is good news for the Protestant and Catholic Church. “Of Church hostility to the question. “Even if you don’t go into de Church service – people appreciate the churches, among others, as important players in the social sector,” says Müller.
The social importance is also emphasized by figures of the Protestant Church in your Statement to the current members. There it is said that the number of children is increased in day-care facilities in the Protestant Church between 2011 and 2017, from 8495 to 8800 facilities.
The number of places for children in Evangelical institutions has increased in this period by 42.918 places, or almost eight percent. In their nurseries and day centres of the Evangelical Church and social service agencies offer more than half a Million places. At least for the very young, the Church is quite important.
Watch the Video 04:59 live Now 04:59 Min. 