Statistics ... again

I remember that in the late sixties, early seventies, an expert (the title was not used at that time) of a bank questioned my boss, head of economic studies (the title chief economist was not used at that time) in an important construction materials firm about the percentage of prefabricated dwellings erected in Belgium.

My boss - honesty personified - said he did not know. The "expert" insisted. My boss said that he did not have the foggiest idea. The expert asked the question again and again, until my boss said : "Well maybe 2 % but I really do not know". He meant to say that prefab represented next to nothing in Belgium.

In the next publication of the bank, the expert stated that prefab represented 2 % of new dwelling construction in Belgium. And for years on end, that number popped up in every study on construction in Belgium ! I kid you not !
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The same thing happens again and again. For the first time in years, there has been a study on church attendance in Belgium.

See : http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=F71U291E&word=kerkbezoek and various other related articles.

I read in various papers and hear on TV that about 7 % of Flemings regularly attend sunday mass against 11 % ten years ago.

The study on church attendance dit not include that figure. The question was not even addressed. But the professor who oversaw the study was asked to give his opinion on the matter. He estimated that about half the people who attend Christmas services go to church regularly. The attendance of Christmas services was included in the study and stood at 15 % for Flanders.

With all respect for the expert, his number is based on thin air. There are no relevant data !!!

I am a regular church goer. I know for a fact that Christmas attendance is many times higher than sunday attendance. Some churches are full on Christmas, and all but empty on regular sundays.

A 7 % attendance means about 350.000 to 420.000 regular churchgoers, very rough ballpark figures. The number of masses has been very drastically reduced, and the number of empty seats is quite impressive to say the least.

I do not believe for a minute that 7 % of Flemings are regular church goers. The real figure must be significantly lower. Any proof to the contrary will be accepted with great pleasure.

Statistics !!!