Analysis of 2017 vs 2016 Yearbook reports for Europe

Splash

So these countries roughly constitute Europe.

Here's how well they did in 2017 vs 2016:

never a jw

Numbers look good!! This is C.T. Russell's 1799.

sir82

So what's going on in Poland? That's nearly a 2% drop.

Seems that a lot of former Iron Curtain / USSR countries took a 1+% drop last year.

Londo111

Poland was in decline the previous year as well.

sir82

Any decrease below 1% is really significant.

There's always a bunch of dumb pre-teens or teens, kids of JW parents, who start publishing any given year. That in itself ought to give a 1 or 2% increase in publishers.

If the rate of decrease is 1% or more, that really means 2, 3, or maybe even 4% of current JWs left during the year. Some died "faithful" of course, but that still makes a relatively big number who are no longer JWs.

A decade of that and it's going to be obvious to all JWs, even the brain-dead ones, despite attempts at covering it over by merging congregations.

So, JWs in many European countries (and the US as well) are no longer able to keep up with the JW attrition rate even with those "built-in automatic" new JW publishers (kids of JW parents) each year.

I see nothing on the horizon that would reverse that trend, barring (god-forbid) some sort of geopolitical crisis or wide-ranging war that scares some ex-JWs back into the fold.

Setting a new "1975" style date would be a temporary fix as well, but I don't think the GB are that dumb or that desperate - yet.

JaniceA

Yay! I just feel bad about the non euro/American folks.

steve2

A comparison of 2 consecutive years gives only a partial picture.

For example, New Zealand recorded its all-time peak number of JWs for the 2011 Service year with roughly 14,500 active Witnesses. So the current drop to 14,100 in 2017 compared with 14,200-odd in 2016 continues a downward trend in peak numbers. (I’ve rounded up numbers).

Just think: in this one country alone, there are roughly 400 fewer JWs than 5 years ago. How many congregations is that? Small wonder, JW organization tries novel ways of presenting its stats without drawing attention to ongoing decline. Peak numbers usually rise year after year. But not in kiwiland.

Edited to add: Denmark continues to show chronic plateauing in numbers of JWs. As far back as 1984 - yes 1984 - there was a peak of 14,000 JWs. So in 33 years not much has been gained in numbers of active JWs.

That’s phenomenal.

jp1692

Hail the Theocracy, ever decreasing!

FadeToBlack

Not sure what is going on in Poland. I know in last Polish congregation I attended, several familes moved to Scotland. Only growth I see in is English/Foreign language groups. Lots of Poles in English language group also learning/studying other languages. At least here in Warsaw there are enough from other countries (many of them students) to keep them busy with return visits.

Rattigan350

I noticed the decrease in congregations in the USA. We were visiting a congregation a few weeks ago that 2 years ago had 2 congregations but when we got there I learned that they were consolidated to one with publishers sent to other local congregations.

As for publisher numbers, there may be many, such as the ones on here who turn in a field service slip (to not stand out) but don't do any real service.

Analysis of 2017 vs 2016 Yearbook reports for Europe

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