Religious orders in catastrophic decline in Germany

Bonn – Fewer and fewer men and women in Germany are living in religious orders: In 2025, the Conference of Major Superiors counted only 11,797 religious. The decline is particularly pronounced among women – and the long-term trend continues.

The number of religious in Germany continues to decline. On December 31 of last year, 11,797 religious sisters and brothers were living in Germany, 831 (6.6 percent) fewer than a year earlier (12,628), according to figures recently published by the German Conference of Major Superiors (DOK). The number of nuns in Germany fell by 7.4 percent from 2024 to 2025, to 8,770 (2024: 9,467), while the number of monks decreased by 4.2 percent to 3,027 (2024: 3,161).

Number of nuns has fallen by 70 percent since 2002

This continues the trend of recent years and decades. According to the German Conference of Religious Orders (DOK), the number of nuns in Germany was 28,973 at the end of 2002 and 18,303 at the end of 2013. Since the end of 2002, the number of nuns in Germany has thus fallen by 20,203 (69.7 percent).

...] According to figures from the Conference of Major Superiors, at the end of 2025, the 3,027 members of religious orders in Germany were distributed among 114 independent provinces, abbeys, and priories belonging to 67 different religious orders, spread across 345 monastic houses. Among these men, 2,313 were ordained priests, 21 were ordained deacons, and 54 were studying theology. The Benedictines had the largest number of members among religious orders in Germany (467), followed by the Franciscan orders (Franciscans, Friars Minor, and Capuchins, 416) and the Jesuits (183). 1,555 (51.4 percent) of the men were under 65 years of age, while 1,472 (48.6 percent) were older.

... 81 Percent of Religious Superiors Over 65 Years Old

According to figures from the German Conference of Religious Superiors (DOK), religious sisters were distributed among 795 monastic communities at the end of 2025 (2024: 883). The largest groups were the Benedictine, Franciscan, and Vincentian religious orders. Among the religious sisters, 7,096 (80.9 percent) were over 65 years old, and 1,674 (19.1 percent) were younger.

The German Conference of Religious Superiors is the association of the higher superiors of religious orders and congregations in Germany.

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