2021

The 5th National Count of Attendance at Mass and Sunday Assemblies was conducted in May 2021. The 2021 count was conducted in all parishes and other Mass centres, such as migrant community centres, throughout Australia. It included other types of Sunday Assemblies, and involved people of all ages at Mass (including babies).

In 2021, parishes were also asked to provide estimates of the age and sex of those who attend Mass and Sunday assemblies. As well, in light of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in some areas, parishes were invited to provide the number of ‘views’ of Masses or Sunday assemblies streamed online.

A document providing background information on the 2021 count is available at this link: National Count of Attendance 2021 – Background information 

2016

The 4th National Count of Attendance was conducted in May 2016. The count is conducted in the same year as the Australian Census and the National Church Life Survey so that information collected can most effectively be used in association with results from the two larger projects. A final report based on the findings from these projects is now available. The report 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.

Mass Attendance in Australia: A Critical Moment – A Report based on the National Count of Attendance, the National Church Life survey and the Australian Census.

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.