Church visits decrease most in Årjäng

In the past five years, church service visits have decreased by 34 percent in Nordmarken's pastorate, according to statistics compiled by the news agency Siren.

- It has happened that the bench rows have been completely empty, Rune Wallmyr says.

But for the music events they organize, there are usually more to come. Then it can almost be filled.

Seen all over Sweden, the services of worship have decreased by a total of eight per cent over the past five years, but there are two pastorates in Värmland that go against the stream: Sunne and Hammarö. In Hammarö, visits have instead increased by eight percent over the past five years.

- I dare not answer if we do something different, but it is a moving municipality and not so far to go to the churches, says the church pastor Regina Piscator.

She has never been aware that the church benches have been empty and a church service with really few visitors, she estimates that there are around ten visitors, but it varies a lot, she says.