Sunday attendance test in Polish parishes
In October, the traditional counting of the faithful will take place in Polish churches. The data will allow us to assess religious trends in society.
Quick Look
- On October 18, the annual count of the faithful (dominicantes and communicantes) will take place in Polish parishes.
- According to ISKK data from 2024, the mass participation rate was 29.6%, an increase compared to previous years.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The annual count of the faithful in Polish parishes is organized by the Institute of Catholic Church Statistics in order to monitor religious practices.
Traditionally, once a year, on one of October Sundays, a nationwide count of the faithful is carried out in Polish churches. This year, the examination will take place on October 18. According to the decision of the Polish Episcopal Conference, on that day in each parish the number of people present at Holy Masses and those who received Holy Communion will be counted.
The aim of the study is to collect reliable data on the number of practicing Catholics, which allows for a better understanding of current religious trends in society.
More faithful in the pews and at communion
According to the latest "Statistical Yearbook of the Catholic Church in Poland" prepared by the Institute of Catholic Church Statistics, in 2024 the dominicantes index, i.e. the percentage of people attending Sunday Mass, was 29.6 percent. This is an increase of 0.57 percentage points compared to the previous year. For comparison, in 2023 this indicator was 29.2 percent, in 2022 - 29.5 percent, and in 2021 - 28.3 percent.
The communicantes indicator, determining the number of believers receiving Holy Communion, also increased. In 2024 it was 14.6 percent, which means an increase of 0.64 percentage points compared to 2023 (14 percent). In 2022, this rate was 13.9 percent, and in 2021 - 12.9 percent.
Geography of religiosity: Tarnów is the leader, Szczecin is last
Statistics show significant differences in the level of religious practices in individual dioceses. The highest rate of dominicantes in 2024 was recorded in the Tarnów diocese - as many as 62.3 percent of the faithful regularly attend Sunday masses there. At the opposite extreme was the Archdiocese of Szczecin-Kamień, where this indicator amounted to 17.59 percent. In the Archdiocese of Warsaw, the dominicantes rate reached 19.85 percent.
Who really counts the faithful in Poland?
Institute of Statistics of the Catholic Church priest Witold Zdaniewicza was established in 1972 on the initiative of Pallottine priests from the Association of Catholic Apostolate. The Institute is the oldest research center in Poland dealing with research on religiosity, Catholicism and their social contexts. He cooperates with, among others: with the Central Statistical Office, providing reliable analyzes and studies on religious life in the country.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Conducting a nationwide count of the faithful in the parish on October 18.
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What will be the final results of counting the faithful in October?
