Cologne (dpa / lnw) – Despite a drastic decline in membership, the Archdiocese of Cologne took in more church taxes last year and made a profit. Church tax revenue increased by 3.7 percent to around 678 million euros in 2021 compared to the previous year, according to the financial report published on Thursday. During the same period, the number of members fell by 3.4 percent to 1.8 million – partly because more than 40,000 people left the church. However, the church tax revenue per member increased by 6.6 percent to 369 euros.
Overall, the balance sheet showed a surplus of around 85 million euros. The archdiocese ended 2020 with a loss of around 4 million euros. The reason for the positive result was cautious economic planning in an “entirely uncertain environment” due to the corona pandemic, said Finance Director Gordon Sobbeck. For example, the provision for pension obligations did not have to be increased to the extent originally assumed.
In view of upcoming economic challenges such as inflation and the energy crisis, most of the surplus is to flow into reserves. “It is our primary goal to remain capable of acting and to ensure the reliability of our church offerings,” said Sobbeck. In times of crisis, charitable and pastoral offers are increasingly needed. “However, the rising energy costs will weigh heavily on the charitable sector in particular. We have to take the same precautions for this as we do for the parishes.” I
