The Austrian Bishops’ Conference released church statistics for 2024 on Wednesday. The number of Catholics in Austria went back slightly last year, but overall largely stable. On December 31, 2024 there was exactly 4, 56 million Catholics in Austria. (According to official statistics, there were 4,638,842). The number of church exits has decreased significantly with 71,531 compared to the previous year. The statistics also have an increase in worshipers. The commitment of the volunteer laypersons in the church is stable, as is the total number of priests and full -time employees.
The Catholic Church in Austria shows with a comprehensive current balance that is also presented on Wednesday that it is not only a “big player” in spiritual or spiritual questions, but also with a view to achievements for the common good. The balance sheet is presented at www.katholisch.at/kirche-in-numbers.
The Bishops’ Conference also published the financial indicators of the Catholic Church for 2024 on Wednesday. It becomes clear: The church contribution forms the backbone of church financing in Austria. The income from the church contribution was 539.4 million euros in 2024 (almost 71 percent of total income). – A slight increase compared to 2023. The majority of the budgets of the dioceses ensure the basic church structure and pastoral care.
More new entrances and adult baptisms
The relevant factors for the decline in the number of Catholics are not only the ratio of resignation to church entries, but above all from baptisms to deaths and moves to move away. In 2024, 5,154 people were re -admitted to the church. This is an increase compared to 2023 (4,575). The number of people who join the Catholic Church must also be added to those who can be baptized in adulthood (from 14 years). Here the official statistics for 2024 shows 255 baptisms. This is also an increase compared to 2023 (208). 453 people also made use of their right to revoke in 2024.
Visits to worship
The number of worship visitors rose significantly in 2024. 366,210 or 378,797 worshipers were counted on the two counter Sundays. The number of those who celebrate a service in Austria on radio, television and internet on Sunday is also very high. According to the ORF surveys and from ServusTV, around 800,000 to over 1 million coaches were regularly celebrated in 2024.
Baptisms, marriages, first communion and confirmation
The number of baptisms in 2024 was 36,705. This is a decline compared to 2023, when 39,488 baptisms were recorded. In 2024, 45,685 first communions were recorded. This is a slight increase compared to 2023 (45.132). The same applies to the company. In 2024 there were 39,677 companies, which is a slight increase compared to 2023 (38.122). The number of weddings has decreased. 7,537 couples could be trusted in 2024. In 2023 there were still 8,228 couples. The number of church funerals was in 2024 47,353. This is a clear decline compared to 2023 (50,900).
Priest, deacons, religious
According to the official church statistics, the number of priests acting in Austria in 2024 was 3,269. The number has so declined slightly compared to 2023 (3,320). Overall, the priests have been a relatively stable situation in recent years. The number of constant deacons is slightly increased, of which the official statistics for 2024 763 have.
The number of religious in Austria – including religious brothers and the religious priest – has slightly declined. (2024: 1,526; 2023: 1.555) For the religious in Austria, the official statistics 2024 shows 2,591 sisters. The number of religious in Austria has been decreasing slightly but steadily for years (2023: 2,721).
Full -time layperson and volunteer commitment
1,463 women and men – full -time laypersons – worked in the pastoral service of the church in 2024. This is a slight increase compared to 2023 (1,409). The number is quite stable over the years. Overall, there is a clear majority of women in the occupational fields in question. 909 women face 554 men.
The voluntary commitment in preparation for the sacraments is also shown in statistics. The statistics recorded the statistics for 2024 12,061 companions at the first communion. That is more than in previous years (2023: 11,767). In 2024, too, with the company helpers with 6,934 there was a small increase compared to 2023 (6,840).
This is still characterized by stability, which is still very dense network of parishes across Austria: the statistics for 2024 have 4,167 parishes and other church pastor.
Church current account
A special focus of the current account published on Wednesday is on the use or importance of the Catholic Church for the community. The Church points out that the concordat with the state secured the 52 Sundays and eleven Christian holidays for people in Austria as free days, regardless of the confession of religion.
In addition, around 500,000 volunteers are involved in an estimated 150 million hours a year in the parishes and organizations of the Catholic Church. Children and adolescents also benefit: Around 200,000 young people find community in Catholic groups and associations, accompanied by around 20,000 volunteers. For Catholics with a migration background, around 500 foreign -language communities offer spiritual homeland and social connections – around half a million people in total.
Church important support in the social system
In the social area, too, the Catholic Church in Austria provides important services that not only benefit church members, but also to the general public. For example, the Caritas facilities support with their more than 17,000 employees and 46,000 volunteers with care and care needs as well as people in need and on the edge of society. Around two million patients are also cared for annually in 23 religious. Added to this are the church aid agencies, which enable over 3,000 projects worldwide with around 160 million euros a year.
The church also plays an important role in the field of education: around 290 Catholic schools are taught around 76,000 pupils, which not only ensures a wide range of education, but also saves the state a lot of money every year. This commitment is supplemented by around 700 church day -to -day homes, in which around 42,000 children are looked after. The church also offers numerous courses for adults: more than 526,000 people recently took part in around 27,000 events of Catholic adult education institutions.
Cultural oases and power places
Finally, the balance sheet also refers to the importance of the church in the field of culture. The Catholic Church can be seen as the largest cultural institution in the country, which ensures the preservation of a significant part of the Austrian cultural heritage.
A total of around 9,400 churches and chapels of various eras shape the landscape and townscape. More than 13,500 listed buildings are maintained by the Catholic Church, whereby the paid VAT alone exceeds state monument protection funding. In 220 monastery and religious libraries, more than 4.5 million books are stored, often accessible online.
Accountability report 2024
According to the accountability report, the ten dioceses in Austria recorded 2024 total income of around 763.8 million euros (2023: 698.3 million). This contrasts expenses of around 784.3 million euros (2023: 732.1 million). Due to a positive financial result in the amount of almost 22 million euros, the overview of the dioceses has a slightly positive “result of church activity”.
The majority of the dioceses are from the church contribution. These income has increased. In 2024 it was 539.4 million euros (almost 71 percent of the total income), in 2023 the church contributions were 511 million euros. The majority of the dioceses’ budgets ensures the basic church structure and pastoral care. According to the accountability report in 2024, a total of 480.7 million euros were spent on the parishes and the pastoral tasks, which corresponds to a share of 61.3 percent in total expenditure.
The majority of the expenditure accounts for over 453.2 million euros to the personnel costs (57.8 percent) for the 8,371 employees (priests and layers) in the diocesan service. The personnel expenses for the lay employees are higher than for the clergy.
The official church statistics 2024, the financial report and the current account can be found at www.katholisch.at/kirche-in-numbers.
(Further reports on current church statistics in the catholic theme focus at www.kathpress.at/kirchenstatistik2024)
Copyright 2025, Kathpress (www.kathpress.at). All rights reserved