German churches collect more money despite declining membership

German churches are experiencing a paradoxical financial situation: while hundreds of thousands of members officially leave each year, the institutions are collecting more revenue. In 2025, approximately 660,000 individuals formally departed from Germany's Catholic and Protestant churches, thereby exempting themselves from the church tax, which is automatically levied on registered members as a percentage of their income tax.

Despite this exodus, the two major religious institutions garnered over 12.5 billion euros through church taxes in fiscal year 2025, a slight increase from the roughly 12.4 billion euros collected the previous year. This apparent anomaly is explained by rising wages and Germany's progressive tax system. As incomes increase, the church tax, calculated as a portion of income tax, also rises, meaning a smaller number of members contribute larger sums.

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At first glance, the development of events may seem contradictory.

"At first glance, the development of events may seem contradictory," a spokesperson for the Evangelical Church in Germany, an umbrella organization for regional Protestant churches, told Politico. "The reason is that the church tax is calculated based on an individual's income tax."

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The reason is that the church tax is calculated based on an individual's income tax.

Members of German Catholic and Protestant churches, as well as some Jewish communities, pay an additional religious tax ranging from 8% to 9% of their income tax. This applies even if they do not attend services. In 2021, over 29 million people in Germany paid church tax, constituting nearly half of all income taxpayers in Europe's largest economy. For instance, a single person earning 50,000 euros annually pays about 600 euros in church tax, while someone earning 70,000 euros pays over 1,000 euros.

To cease paying the church tax, individuals must formally leave their religious community through a process known as Kirchenaustritt, or "church exit." This typically involves visiting a registry office or local court to submit a declaration, often with an administrative fee. While former members can still attend services as visitors, they lose the right to church marriage, serving as godparents, or guaranteed church funerals. Reasons for leaving range from feeling disconnected from the church to a desire to save money, with many stating, "People are leaving the Church because they feel it no longer plays a role in their lives."

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People are leaving the Church because they feel it no longer plays a role in their lives.