2026
The 6th National Count of Attendance at Mass and Sunday Assemblies will take place in May 2026. This year marks a significant milestone—25 years of national attendance data, beginning with the first count in 2001. The 2026 results will provide valuable insights into long‑term trends, particularly in understanding the ongoing effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic, which influenced attendance patterns in 2021.
As in 2021, parishes will again be asked to provide estimates of the age and sex of attendees and to report the number of online ‘views’ for streamed Masses or Sunday assemblies.
Instructions for conducting the Count, along with training materials, will be available in early April. These will be distributed to diocesan contacts for sharing with parishes and other Mass centres, including migrant community centres.
2021
The 5th National Count of Attendance at Mass and Sunday Assemblies was conducted in May 2021. As part of the process, parishes were asked to provide estimates of the age and sex of those attending Mass and Sunday assemblies. In recognition of the COVID‑19 restrictions affecting some areas at the time, parishes were also invited to report the number of online ‘views’ for streamed Masses or Sunday assemblies.
Click on the link below to access the final report, which presents detailed information on the demographic characteristics and attendance patterns of Mass attenders in 2021 and earlier years. Conducting the Count during the disruptions of the COVID‑19 pandemic was particularly significant. The resulting data offers a valuable snapshot of Mass attendance during an unprecedented moment in history and provides important insights for tracking attendance trends into the future.
The Australian Catholic Mass Attendance Report – A report based on the National Count of Attendance and the National Catholic Census Project – Trudy Dantis, Stephen Reid, Leith Dudfield and Katherine Jelavic
2016
The 4th National Count of Attendance was conducted in May 2016. Click on the link below to view the final report that provides a detailed review of the demographics of Mass attenders, as well as changes in attendance patterns over the last two decades.
The Australian Catholic Mass Attendance Report 2016 – A report based on the National Count of Attendance, the National Church Life Survey and the National Catholic Census Project – Trudy Dantis, Stephen Reid and Marilyn Chee.
2011
The 3rd National Count of Attendance was conducted in May 2011. Click on the link below to view the final report.
2006
The 2nd National Count of Attendance was conducted in all parishes and other Mass centres throughout Australia in May 2006. Click on the link below to view the final report.
Final Report for National Count of Attendance 2006.
2001
The first National Count of Attendance was conducted in May 2001, and showed that approximately 765,000 Catholics, of all ages, attended Mass on a typical weekend. This figure represented about 15.3% of the Australian Catholic population.