Biggest month of May ever

[JabbaPapa]

https://www.elcorreogallego.es/sant...ontinua-rompiendo-records-firma-88386042.html

61,139 Compostelas last month, a 26% increase from May last year, and nearly 120,000 so far this year -- so looks like yet another record year.

40% Spaniards, and the top three other nationalities are German, US, and Portuguese. About half on the Francès, which remains a much lower proportion than in previous decades. 22% Português.

 

[JimG59]

https://www.elcorreogallego.es/sant...ontinua-rompiendo-records-firma-88386042.html

61,139 Compostelas last month, a 26% increase from May last year, and nearly 120,000 so far this year -- so looks like yet another record year.

40% Spaniards, and the top three other nationalities are German, US, and Portuguese. About half on the Francès, which remains a much lower proportion than in previous decades. 22% Português.

Were there not over 435,000 Compostelas issued in 2022. If so the numbers for 2023, as above, look at least 50% less.

 

[Bradypus]

Were there not over 435,000 Compostelas issued in 2022. If so the numbers for 2023, as above, look at least 50% less.

Not quite clear on your reasoning here. There were about 437,000 Compostelas in the whole of 2022. The figures mentioned are only for this year to date and do not include the busiest summer period. The pilgrim office's new statistics system gives a running total for this year to date and a comparison with the previous year to that point. As of now numbers are 25% up on the same period last year.

 

[Jodean]

I thought S. Korea was supposed to be the #1 nationality this year? No mention of them at all?
Got my compestela on 1 June. Hardly any line, and had it with-in 10-15 min. They have the process so well organized now.

 

[Bradypus]

I thought S. Korea was supposed to be the #1 nationality this year? No mention of them at all?

South Koreans were the largest single national group leaving SJPDP for the first three months this year. But they are less prominent on other routes or amongst those walking only short distances on the Frances. In the total Compostela figures so far this year Koreans are seventh in the list of nationalities.

 

[Silvermomma]

A lot of people don’t bother with the diploma. Figures from albergues and hotels would be more accurate

 

[Kathar1na]

A lot of people don’t bother with the diploma. Figures from albergues and hotels would be more accurate

The numbers that are published may not reflect the exact number of pilgrims on the road and in the albergues but they reflect trends - more, fewer or about the same when compared to another year, month or week, or really a lot more …

 

[lt56ny]

A lot of people don’t bother with the diploma. Figures from albergues and hotels would be more accurate

I don't think having a completely accurate figure is even close to possible. Not only do some pilgrims not get their compostela, many more just walk a part of many different caminos. As someone else said the figures from the pilgrim office may not be complete but they do give you an excellent overview of numbers and how busy or quiet things are. Also gives a great idea of whether lesser traveled caminos are getting more pilgrims or not. There are so many wonderful caminos out there to walk that will afford you a wonderful experience.

 

[JabbaPapa]

A lot of people don’t bother with the diploma. Figures from albergues and hotels would be more accurate

No, because not only the pilgrims walking in stages, but also those non-pilgrims just taking a hiking tour along the Way (whom I have absolutely nothing against, they're just hikers not pilgrims, and good for and Buen Camino to them !!). Not to mention the pseudo-pilgrims abusing the system, and yes there are still some.

Those finishing really is the only meaningful stat.

 

[KWay]

Not quite clear on your reasoning here. There were about 437,000 Compostelas in the whole of 2022. The figures mentioned are only for this year to date and do not include the busiest summer period. The pilgrim office's new statistics system gives a running total for this year to date and a comparison with the previous year to that point. As of now numbers are 25% up on the same period last year.

View attachment 148864

The way I read the original post is that 61,000 were issued in the month of May - just for the month of May, not Year to date. That would be a substantial increase.

 

[JabbaPapa]

A lot of people don’t bother with the diploma. Figures from albergues and hotels would be more accurate

Recent studies seem to show that between ~15% and ~30% don't -- these % numbers are not given here as imprecise, but rather as variable by season. A far larger proportion obtain their Compostelas during Winter than in the more crowded months. Overall, IIRC it's something in the region of 20%-25% who don't, among those arriving in Santiago.

So if you multiplied any yearly number of Compostelas by 1.18, that would be a good enough estimate of the total number arriving in Santiago in a *normal* year (so definitely not 2020 or 2021, and even early 2022 was affected so not really 2022 either) (oh, and those % figures are only true for the 2010s and later, as in earlier decades, the proportion obtaining their Compostelas was much higher) -- though it would still fail to include those who have made some progress in their Caminos by stages, and so would still be an underestimation of the total number of pilgrims who have walked at least partially towards Compostela in that particular year.

Nor would it include pilgrims walking the same Ways but towards Rome or Fátima and so on.

I have yet to come across any decent study seeking to estimate the total number of pilgrims in a year in relation to the other statistics.