A Slow Process Of Attrition

[poliphilo]

 There have never been many British Quakers. And they are becoming fewer and fewer.

I've been checking the statistics as published by the yearly general meeting. 

In 1935, the earliest year for which there are published figures, total membership stood at 19,301. This included children.

In 2022, the most recent year for which there are published figures, total membership stood at 11,491. Very few of these are children.

It's more or less what I expected.  The process has been slow and consistent- with no sudden and surprising upturns or reversals. It's what you see with all the churches. And also with political parties and other such bodies. The Quakers aren't exceptional in their decline. The general truth- in this country certainly and maybe throughout the western world- is this: that people are less and less willing to belong to organisations.

Comments

[mtbc]

I wonder if modern life means that people need each other less?

[heleninwales]

I think it's more likely that people have multiple ways of getting support in a more informal way and being very busy, they are reluctant to commit to joining just one thing.

[poliphilo]

I think people still need to belong. What's happened is the churches used to be the only game in town- and now they have all sorts of competition.