I know some churches that are dwindling because the population in small towns and villages are aging out. Young people are leaving for larger urban areas for jobs. The same is happening in rural areas and KHs.
Congregations have a family of 5 move to another nearby congregation. A sister in that congregation says they have an increase but it is only moving 5 from one to another. I always ask, are they newly baptized? No, and tells me what congregation they moved from. So no increase overall, so the other congregation went down 5, right?
It is easier to disappear or fade in large urban areas. I always wonder though who are the increase in the memorial attendees, faded, df'd, da'd, inactive, non-jw spouses, children, relatives?
My family called them submarine witnesses, only surfaced one a year for air.