Percentage of growth to the size of the group is declining.
The total number looks good at first, but if you compare it to how many JW's they report, it has decreased quite abit over the years.
The marketing company I've belonged to for years, (soon to be retiring from) Yeah! Would never look at just gross additions. In fact Wall Street would blast us away if we did.
It was always the adjusted net additions and then the quality of the subscriber.
As an example in my case. In the 70's the JW's had fantastic numerical and percentage growth. If the same percentage of growth was happening today you would see upwards of 2 million being baptized per year.
If you adjust for the net additions, those coming in, minus those leaving, the JW decline is alarmingly low. If viewed as a business, which I'm sure the GB does, you would have to notice that your distribution points are not producing like before, and the quality of your subscribers (new additions) has gone down.
What I've noticed in recent years, is a trend to skue the report by the WTS to make it appear better than it really is. If a corporation did that to its stockholders (see Enron) they would have to answer to the FTC and maybe the DOJ. They supposedly answer to a higher authority JG.
As to why the serious decline? (see all disacussion on JWN)