The most recent data published by the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) show a significant exodus from the Church in a country that has made headlines for its hierarchy’s promotion of heterodox teaching.
The preliminary figures for 2025, which “may still be subject to minor adjustments”, show that 307,117 people left the Catholic Church, slightly down from 321,659 in 2024.
In Germany, the motivation to formally leave the Church is incentivised by a practice unique to Germany and parts of Switzerland called Kirchensteuer (church tax). Under Kirchensteuer, the German state collects tax on the Church’s behalf, a fee of 8–9 per cent of a citizen’s total tax bill.
