More People Leaving Church Than Joining

The number of people de-registering from the National Church has exceeded the number of people joining it, new data reveals.

Kjarninn reports that 636 Icelanders de-registered from the National Church from July 1 to September 30 of this year alone. During the same period, 94 people joined it. The church is especially unpopular with Icelanders between the ages of 19 and 33.

This is not, however, a part of a larger trend of people leaving religious institutions. On the contrary, other religious organisations saw an increase in membership rather than a decline.

The exodus from the National Church appears to be a part of a larger decline of National Church membership. Last year alone, some 2,000 Icelanders left the National Church.

It is unknown what effects the recent Christian Days celebration may have had on these numbers one way or the other.