The Belgian Episcopal Conference has published this week its ninth annual report on the Church in the country, corresponding to 2025, which reflects a general decline in sacramental practice with one striking exception: adult baptisms, which reach the highest level of the last nine years. According to the data in the report, collected by Cathobel, last year 534 adults were baptized, compared to 362 in 2024 and 229 in 2016.
The 2025 figure represents 172 more adult baptisms than the previous year, and the report itself points out that the trend will continue in 2026. The Belgian bishops already announced in February that 689 people had registered to receive baptism at this year’s Easter Vigil, a figure that, according to the Episcopal Conference, triples that of a decade ago.
Fewer baptisms, communions, marriages and funerals
The contrast with the overall sacraments is notable. Parishes celebrated a total of 27,666 baptisms in 2025, counting those of all ages, and 29,073 first communions, representing a 4.7% decrease compared to 30,523 in 2024. Confirmations numbered 26,959, including 313 of already baptized adults.
The decline is more pronounced in religious marriages, which fell from 4,896 to 4,122, a 15.8% decrease, and in funerals, which dropped from 35,515 to 31,743, a 10.6% decrease. The latter, according to the report, represent 31.4% of the deaths registered in the country.
Mass, clergy and seminarians
Regarding attendance, the count on the third Sunday of October, the fixed date of the statistics, showed 155,084 participants at Mass, while on the vigil or Christmas Day there were 388,096. The report counts 3,262 priests, of whom 1,603 are diocesan, 368 come from other dioceses, mainly foreigners, and 1,659 are religious, of whom 299 work in parishes.
There were four priestly ordinations in 2025, and seminarians total 28, of whom 20 are Belgian. In the permanent diaconate, the report counts 306 deacons with canonical appointment, seven ordinations during the year and fifteen candidates in formation.
Cathobel summarizes the reading of the report by noting that each year the number of people receiving the sacraments decreases, but sees in the increase of adult baptisms a sign of hope.