On 31. December last year, 11,797 religious women and men lived in the Federal Republic, and thus 831 (6.6 percent) less than a year earlier (12,628), according to figures from the German Conference of Superiors (DOK).
The number of religious women fell from 2024 to 2025 by 7.4 percent to 8,770 (2024: 9,467), the number of religious decreased by 4.2 percent to 3,027 (2024: 3,161).
Number of religious women down by 70 percent since 2002
Thus, the trend of the past years and decades continued unabated. According to the DOC, the number of religious women at the end of 2002 was still at 28,973 and at the end of 2013 still at 18,303. Since the end of 2002, the number of religious women in Germany has fallen by 20,203 (69.7 percent).
According to the figures of the Religious Conference, the 3,027 religious in Germany were divided into 114 independent religious provinces, abbeys and priorities of 67 different religious communities in 345 monastic branches at the end of 2025.
Among the religious, 2,313 had the priestly ordination, 21 the deacons' ordination and 54 members were in theology studies. Most of the members of the religious in Germany had the Benedictines (467) before the Franciscan Orders (Franciscans, Minorites and Capuchins, 416) and the Jesuits (183). 1,555 (51.4 percent) of religious were younger than 65, 1,472 (48.6 percent) older.
81 percent of religious women older than 65 years
According to the DOK figures, the religious women were divided into 795 monastic branches at the end of 2025 (2024: 883).
The largest groups were the Benedictine, Franciscan and Vincentian-influenced religious communities. Among religious women, 7,096 (80.9 percent) were over 65 years old, 1,674 (19.1 percent) younger.
The German Conference of the Superiors is the association of the Higher Superiors of the Orders and Congregations in Germany.