Despite declining membership numbers, the Church in Germany has posted record tax revenues.
In the Catholic Church, church tax revenue amounted to 6.848 billion euros in 2022, thus reaching a new high. In 2021 it was 6.732 billion. This is according to figures published by the German Bishops’ Conference on Friday.
The Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) already published its balance sheet for the past year in spring. The church tax revenue in 2022 was 6.242 billion euros, while in 2021 it was 5.995 billion. According to the statistics available on the EKD website, this is also an all-time high.
However, taking into account rising prices, the income of the Catholic Church fell slightly compared to the previous year and, adjusted for inflation, amounted to 4.698 billion euros. In previous years, this figure has always been exceeded; the last time it was lower was in 2014.
In 2022, 20.938 million people belonged to the Catholic Church, while in 2021 there were 21.646 million. Among the Protestants, the number fell from 19.725 to 19.15 million. This corresponds to a share of around 24.8 or 22.7 percent of the total population of Germany. In 2021, the total share (26.0 + 23.5) fell below 50 percent for the first time.
In Germany, churches have the constitutional right to levy church tax on their members. This tax is the most important source of funding for performing church tasks in pastoral care, education and social affairs. The amount is usually based on a person’s income tax. The church tax is collected by the state, which receives around three percent of the total revenue.
Originally posted by KNA Germany.
