The number of priests in Luxembourg has almost halved
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The number of Catholic priests in Luxembourg is rapidly declining: from 227 in 2015 to 150 in 2024. It is predicted that by 2035 there will be only 104 priests left in the country.
This decline is directly related to the separation of church and state that took place ten years ago. Since then, state funding for church salaries has been gradually reduced. In 2015 the state allocated €22 million, but by 2023 the amount had fallen to €20 million, and by 2035 funding will be capped at €7 million.
Meanwhile, pensions for 110 clerics continue to be funded by the state.
The data was provided by Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden in response to a parliamentary enquiry by Democratic Party (DP) deputy André Bauler.
The reduction in the number of priests and the decrease in state support emphasise the changes in religious life in Luxembourg, where the Catholic Church is gradually losing its former influence.
