Newsroom (September 24, 2025, 20:16 p.m., Gaudium Press) For the first time, the proportion of Catholics in Austria fell below 50% of the population in 2024, according to data released by the Episcopal Conference. Although the number of baptisms and marriages has decreased, Mass attendance has increased, and the number of formal departures from the Church has been reduced.
The Austrian Bishops’ Conference presented the ecclesiastical statistics for 2024 last Wednesday in Vienna. According to the data, the number of registered Catholics in the country was 4,557,471 on December 31. Compared to 4,638,842 in the previous year, this decline puts Catholics below the 50% mark of the population for the first time.
The reduction is attributed to the negative balance between baptisms and deaths, the difference between emigration and immigration, and formal departures from the Church. In 2024, 71,531 departures were recorded, a significantly lower number than the 85,163 in 2023 and the 90,975 in 2022.
On the other hand, 5,154 people were readmitted to the Church or joined for the first time, and 255 adult baptisms were recorded, an increase over previous years. Additionally, 453 people canceled their requests to leave within the established deadline after engaging in dialogues with Church representatives.
One of the highlights of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference report is the increase in attendance at Sunday Masses. On the two Sundays counted, 366,210 and 378,797 faithful were recorded. Figures that are higher than those for 2023. Participation through the media also remains high. According to data from ORF and ServusTV, between 800,000 and more than one million people regularly followed the celebrations on radio, television, or the internet.
With regard to the sacraments, the number of baptisms fell to 36,705 in 2024 (compared to 39,488 in 2023), reflecting the general trend of declining birth rates. Church weddings also declined, with 7,537 couples celebrating religious marriages in 2024, compared to 8,228 the previous year. Church funerals totaled 47,353, also down from previous years.
On the other hand, First Communions showed a slight increase, with 45,685 celebrations in 2024, and Confirmations rose to 39,677, surpassing the previous year’s records.
As for ecclesiastical personnel, the number of priests remained relatively stable, with 3,269 active priests (1,619 diocesan, 1,193 religious, and 457 foreign). There are 763 permanent deacons and 1,463 lay people, mostly women, who work in paid pastoral roles.
The presence of religious men and women continues to decline. In 2024, there were 1,526 religious men (including priests and brothers of orders) and 2,591 religious women.
Volunteering in preparation for the sacraments remained similar relative to previous years. In preparation for First Communion, 12,061 people participated, and for Confirmation, 6,934 people participated.
The parish network in Austria remained stable, with 4,167 parishes and pastoral centers.
From a financial perspective, the ten Austrian dioceses recorded total revenues of approximately €764 million in 2024, a 9.4% increase over the previous year. The main source of income was the Kirchenbeitrag, the church tax, which contributed €539.4 million (70.6% of the total). State compensation for Nazi-related damages totaled €65.7 million (8.6%), while the remaining €159 million came from rents, services, subsidies, and other sources of income.
The Episcopal Conference classified the overall trend as “relatively stable.”
With information from InfoCatolica
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
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