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Record number of Compostelas issued this year - and its not over yet!

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According to this article, more Compostelas have been issued thus far in 2022 than the previous record set in 2019 when 347,578 pilgrims received Compostelas.
Halfway through Wednesday, September 21st the number was already at 348,230.
Anyone think the strong dollar is a factor. Just a a thought. European folks struggling to afford USA and staying in Europe, and USA folks getting great value here, Cost of flights and inflation not withstanding. I am not convinced myself (different demographic, most Camino folk seem relatively affluent, and the ‘land aspect’ is relatively cheap). It’s a thought though as exchange rates have a big impact on traffic flows. Are there nationality breakdowns year on year?
 
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Anyone think the strong dollar is a factor. Just a a thought. European folks struggling to afford USA and staying in Europe, and USA folks getting great value here, Cost of flights and inflation not withstanding. I am not convinced myself (different demographic, most Camino folk seem relatively affluent, and the ‘land aspect’ is relatively cheap). It’s a thought though as exchange rates have a big impact on traffic flows. Are there nationality breakdowns year on year?
I doubt that the dollar-euro exchange rate is a major factor in overall pilgrim numbers. In 2019 pilgrims from the United States made up slightly less than 6% of the total. It seems unlikely that currency fluctuations would drive a big enough change in American pilgrim numbers to make a serious change in monthly or annual totals. If you want to look at annual or monthly statistics and nationalities then you can find a lot of information on the pilgrim office website: https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/statistics/
 
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I doubt that the dollar-euro exchange rate is a major factor in overall pilgrim numbers. In 2019 pilgrims from the United States made up slightly less than 6% of the total. It seems unlikely that currency fluctuations would drive a big enough change in American pilgrim numbers to make a serious change in monthly or annual totals. If you want to look at annual or monthly statistics and nationalities then you can find a lot of information on the pilgrim office website: https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/statistics/
Thank you very much for that. Appreciate the quick and informative reply. Wow only 6% that surprises me! I wrongly assumed much greater. Was just a hunch based on some work I did a few years ago communicating to UK consumers how much further their GBP would go in a number of countries due exchange rate gains which had good results! I will stand that thought down!
 
Here's the page where you an download the statistics
Thank you so much I guess I had based my views on demographics on this forum which I guess was daft as those travelling further often need to be on a forum for support. My three Caminos were all
during Covid and mainly Italian, Spaniards, Germans and British folks. Of course very few from further afield. Thanks again!
 
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A forum member, @diegoromerosm, maintains a website where the data about Compostelas issued by the Pilgrim Office are presented in various graphs. In every year, the number of arrivals / Compostelas reaches its peak during the summer months. This August 2022 broke all records and shows higher monthly numbers than ever before, driven mainly by Spanish pilgrims - 20,000 resp. 15,000 more in August 2022 than in August 2010. Other data show that this is mainly due to the number of pilgrims who started in towns / walked on sections of the various Caminos that are close to Santiago or in Galicia only.

Source: https://solviturambulando.es/
By Country of origin and month.jpg
 
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Anyone think the strong dollar is a factor. Just a a thought. European folks struggling to afford USA and staying in Europe, and USA folks getting great value here, Cost of flights and inflation not withstanding. I am not convinced myself (different demographic, most Camino folk seem relatively affluent, and the ‘land aspect’ is relatively cheap). It’s a thought though as exchange rates have a big impact on traffic flows. Are there nationality breakdowns year on year?
US residents are relatively minor numbers overall. Spanish pilgrims are easily the most numerous by a very large number.

Other European residents are next with lots of Italians and Portuguese.

I am yet to calculate the final numbers but if we looked at pilgrim numbers as a proportion of population then again the Spanish would be first but interestingly, the Irish would be next. I do need to double check these numbers though.
 
US residents are relatively minor numbers overall. Spanish pilgrims are easily the most numerous by a very large number.

Other European residents are next with lots of Italians and Portuguese.

I am yet to calculate the final numbers but if we looked at pilgrim numbers as a proportion of population then again the Spanish would be first but interestingly, the Irish would be next. I do need to double check these numbers though.
Thank you. YesI had assumed the US would be much bigger numbers. Based on representation here! I should know better. Fascinating though. Thought UK would be higher but hey ho!
 
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Just wanted to add that this website also keeps a record of the numbers of Compostelas issued every day. And of course also the running total of Compostelas for this year: yesterday they had reached a total of 351.573 Compostelas for 2022 so far. The 4th of August 2022 holds a lonely record with 4.978 arrivals on that day. The 15th of April 2022 - Good Friday ie the Friday before the Easter Weekend this year - also holds a record.

 
I find the distribution amongst the nationalities fascinating. Here are the top Compostela figures for 2019 - the last "normal" year before Covid and the extended Holy Year. Not surprisingly Spain vastly outnumbers other countries. Something that we might sometimes overlook being an English-language forum. As a Brit I tend to focus on the UK's representation compared to other nations. It raises so many questions for me. Why does Germany with only a slightly larger population send 3x the number of pilgrims? Allowing for the big difference in population the Irish seem to be 14x more likely to be pilgrims. Perhaps most remarkable of all to me is Korea - a country of similar size to the UK and sending roughly comparable numbers of pilgrims despite its distance and great differences in language and cultural and religious history.

2019stats.jpg
 
I find the distribution amongst the nationalities fascinating. Here are the top Compostela figures for 2019 - the last "normal" year before Covid and the extended Holy Year. Not surprisingly Spain vastly outnumbers other countries. Something that we might sometimes overlook being an English-language forum. As a Brit I tend to focus on the UK's representation compared to other nations. It raises so many questions for me. Why does Germany with only a slightly larger population send 3x the number of pilgrims? Allowing for the big difference in population the Irish seem to be 14x more likely to be pilgrims. Perhaps most remarkable of all to me is Korea - a country of similar size to the UK and sending roughly comparable numbers of pilgrims despite its distance and great differences in language and cultural and religious history.

View attachment 133453
Do any of the stakeholders in the Camino do any advertising. I.e. Spanish tourist board, Galicia, SdC? I know it’s a niche market for a number of reasons, so not expecting a 30 second advert during the Super Bowl but anyone seen anything?

Who actually ‘owns’ the Camino as an entity/ trademark and so on?
 
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I find the distribution amongst the nationalities fascinating. Here are the top Compostela figures for 2019 - the last "normal" year before Covid and the extended Holy Year. Not surprisingly Spain vastly outnumbers other countries. Something that we might sometimes overlook being an English-language forum. As a Brit I tend to focus on the UK's representation compared to other nations. It raises so many questions for me. Why does Germany with only a slightly larger population send 3x the number of pilgrims? Allowing for the big difference in population the Irish seem to be 14x more likely to be pilgrims. Perhaps most remarkable of all to me is Korea - a country of similar size to the UK and sending roughly comparable numbers of pilgrims despite its distance and great differences in language and cultural and religious history.

View attachment 133453
100% agree! It’s fascinating!
 
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any of the stakeholders in the Camino do any advertising. I.e. Spanish tourist board, Galicia, SdC?
The regional government of Galicia has a considerable budget for the promotion of the Camino(s) to Santiago in many forms, both within Spain and abroad.

BTW, they contributed € 700,000 to the making of Martin Sheen's "The Way" which was of course a relatively modest contribution to an overall budget of $ 3.8 million for this movie.
 
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The regional government of Galicia has a considerable budget for the promotion of the Camino(s) to Santiago in many forms, both within Spain and abroad.

BTW, they contributed € 700,000 to the making of Martin Sheen's "The Way" which was of course a relatively modest contribution to an overall budget of $ 3.8 million for this movie.
Ha thank you! That’s interesting and good to hear a sizeable promotional budget !
 
I find the distribution amongst the nationalities fascinating. Here are the top Compostela figures for 2019 - the last "normal" year before Covid and the extended Holy Year. Not surprisingly Spain vastly outnumbers other countries. Something that we might sometimes overlook being an English-language forum. As a Brit I tend to focus on the UK's representation compared to other nations. It raises so many questions for me. Why does Germany with only a slightly larger population send 3x the number of pilgrims? Allowing for the big difference in population the Irish seem to be 14x more likely to be pilgrims. Perhaps most remarkable of all to me is Korea - a country of similar size to the UK and sending roughly comparable numbers of pilgrims despite its distance and great differences in language and cultural and religious history.

View attachment 133453
I heard somewhere that there was a popular Korean film or documentary about the Camino that has inspired many of them to visit Spain and walk it.
 
I find the distribution amongst the nationalities fascinating. Here are the top Compostela figures for 2019 - the last "normal" year before Covid and the extended Holy Year. Not surprisingly Spain vastly outnumbers other countries. Something that we might sometimes overlook being an English-language forum. As a Brit I tend to focus on the UK's representation compared to other nations. It raises so many questions for me. Why does Germany with only a slightly larger population send 3x the number of pilgrims? Allowing for the big difference in population the Irish seem to be 14x more likely to be pilgrims. Perhaps most remarkable of all to me is Korea - a country of similar size to the UK and sending roughly comparable numbers of pilgrims despite its distance and great differences in language and cultural and religious history.

View attachment 133453
Layman's opinion on my neighbors. And Brazilians, Koreans.
HAPE Kerkeling wrote the most successful non fiction book since WW II "Ich bin dann mal weg" about his Jakobsweg. That brought tons of Germans to the Camino.
Paolo Coelho did the same for Brazilians and Koreans.
I might be wrong, but......yeah, no I think that's it
 
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According to this article, more Compostelas have been issued thus far in 2022 than the previous record set in 2019 when 347,578 pilgrims received Compostelas.
Halfway through Wednesday, September 21st the number was already at 348,230.
Does compostellas equate to the number of people on the coming. I have walked a total of close to 800 kms so far this year on different Caminos yet I did not seek or receive a compostella. I know from experience that there are very many people doing the same. The last hundred is only a small indicator of the people on the Camino
 
Does compostellas equate to the number of people on the coming. I have walked a total of close to 800 kms so far this year on different Caminos yet I did not seek or receive a compostella. I know from experience that there are very many people doing the same. The last hundred is only a small indicator of the people on the Camino
I think that most people do still ask for a Compostela. Personally I no longer do. My entirely subjective impression is that the number who do not ask for one has increased in recent years but that they are still a small percentage. Impossible to put an accurate figure on it though and the Compostela statistics are probably still the most reliable guide to trends.
 
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Does compostellas equate to the number of people on the coming. I have walked a total of close to 800 kms so far this year on different Caminos yet I did not seek or receive a compostella. I know from experience that there are very many people doing the same. The last hundred is only a small indicator of the people on the Camino
You are correct that many more pilgrims walk various Camino routes every year than are reflected in the official numbers.
There are those who walk only partial Caminos and return (or not) in another year to complete it, and those who don't collect a Compostela.
But as @Kathar1na said its a good indicator of overall trends.
 
Who actually ‘owns’ the Camino as an entity/ trademark and so on?
Other people may be able to give a more definitive reply, but my understanding is that nobody owns the Camino as an entity/trademark. (I am assuming that certain things cannot be trademarked.)

There is a UNESCO designation for "Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain".

No person or organization has management authority over the "Camino" as such. The Camino passes through many jurisdictions which have their various authorities.
 
An anecdotal contribution....this year in April/May I walked about half of Via de La Plata - 500km from Sevilla to Salamanca. Back next year to complete it.
Observations relevant to this thread are that (1) it was quite crowded and accommodation almost impossible to find without a reservation and (2) I only met 5 other people from outside continental Europe.
 
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A forum member, @diegoromerosm, maintains a website where the data about Compostelas issued by the Pilgrim Office are presented in various graphs. In every year, the number of arrivals / Compostelas reaches its peak during the summer months. This August 2022 broke all records and shows higher monthly numbers than ever before, driven mainly by Spanish pilgrims - 20,000 resp. 15,000 more in August 2022 than in August 2010. Other data show that this is mainly due to the number of pilgrims who started in towns / walked on sections of the various Caminos that are close to Santiago or in Galicia only.

Source: https://solviturambulando.es/
View attachment 133452
I find the various stats and discussions regarding how busy the camino is quite confusing and contradictory. In many places, and from many people, I've heard that May is one of the busiest months. However the chart above shows May 2022 as being well below the numbers in July and August.

Thanks for that great website link showing the number of arrivals in SdC. Is there a website that tracks how many people each day are leaving SJPDP? That would be really helpful.
 
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I find the various stats and discussions regarding how busy the camino is quite confusing and contradictory. In many places, and from many people, I've heard that May is one of the busiest months. However the chart above shows May 2022 as being well below the numbers in July and August
That May and September are busiest months has to do with numbers of pilgrims starting from St Jean Pied de Port, not the numbers arriving in Santiago.

Pilgrims departing from sjpdp by month 2019 - Copy (1)(1).JPG

These large numbers starting in SJPDP create choke points mostly between St Jean and Pamplona. After that there are more intermediate towns and the pilgrim traffic spreads out.
 
I've heard that May is one of the busiest months. However the chart above shows May 2022 as being well below the numbers in July and August.
This is something that many people miss. We might as well be talking about two different routes, when comparing numbers.

The May and September crowds start in SJPP, creating the chokepoints near the start as mentioned by @trecile. Once those people spread out, things are much better. If you started somewhere else along the Camino in May or September you would wonder what the talk is all about.

The July and August crowds start in Sarria, filling accommodation on the last 100 km, but there are relatively few pilgrims on the rest of the Camino. The July and August Sarria crowds are bigger than the SJPP crowds, but there is more accommodation and services to supply them.

When you add them all together to compare months over the year, you lose that very important distinction.
 
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I've heard that May is one of the busiest months. However the chart above shows May 2022 as being well below the numbers in July and August.
May in St. Jean, 700 klms and six weeks away from Santiago de Compostela is busy for the Eastern section of the Camino Frances. These people start turning up in Santiago in June.

The numbers walking this Eastern section are miniscule compared with the Pilgrims who start much closer to Santiago in July and August.
 
I hope that @diegoromerosm does not mind my copies of some of the interesting graphs on his website that are all based on the Oficina del Peregrino data. It is unfortunately not possible to link directly to the various graphs.

The graph below shows the numbers of Compostelas by starting points over the course of many years and months. You can see the peak years 2004, 2010 and now 2022, all of them Jacobean Holy Years.

Look at the green graph and the red graph that show the number of pilgrims who indicated Sarria and SJPP as their starting point. The numbers for SJPP are not or barely influenced by Holy Years, while those for Sarria and for Other (mainly other towns in Spain - marked in grey) clearly increase in those years. Note the typical behaviour patterns for those coming from SJPP with peaks in spring and autumn and from Sarria and from Other with their peak in the summer months. And the extraordinary increase for Sarria, and to a lesser extent for Tui, during this year of 2022!

I noticed that yesterday 3715 Compostelas were recorded. I believe that this is an unusually high number for a day at the end of September, even when it was a Friday where numbers are generally higher than on other days. My guess is that this is due to (Spanish) groups walking for a week or so.

(Click to enlarge)
By month.jpg

Source: https://solviturambulando.es/el-cam...cas-camino/#Estadisticas_mensuales_desde_2004
 
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I think the other thing that gets forgotten quite often when comparing numbers or thinking "but I don't see them" when it comes to Spanish pilgrims is that the vast majority of them just want to get the Compostela and do as close to the minimum distance as possible. So they'll start in Sarria, Tui or Ferrol and you will rarely see them before this. (And if you do talk to them, most of them will declare you absolutely insane for starting further out!).
I'd be quite curious to see a division of distance walked vs nationality...
 
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That’s a lot of pilgrims. We’ll, I’m glad people are walking again! Being from the US, I was always eager to meet an American on the Camino, but I hardly saw any during my two month walk. I def saw many more Canadian pilgrims than US (I did walk the Via Podiensis, which is mostly French speakers, so the Canadians I met were typically from French speaking provinces like Quebec).
 
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I'd be quite curious to see a division of distance walked vs nationality...
Unfortunately the Pilgrim Office doesn't publish those figures, nor do they provide the raw data so that others could calculate it.

There are a number of different perspectives and comparisons that I am interested in. Perhaps we can start a conversation to allow access to the raw data?

I am working on one particular perspective at the moment with the help of a very knowledgeable friend. I am hoping that we have a very early version to show in a couple of weeks because we both get very busy after that and during our busy period there will be little progress.

It is refreshing that others like those posting in this thread are developing their interest in data and its presentation.
 
Just wanted to add that this website also keeps a record of the numbers of Compostelas issued every day. And of course also the running total of Compostelas for this year: yesterday they had reached a total of 351.573 Compostelas for 2022 so far. The 4th of August 2022 holds a lonely record with 4.978 arrivals on that day. The 15th of April 2022 - Good Friday ie the Friday before the Easter Weekend this year - also holds a record.

Very interesting statistics, thank you everyone.
Pat and I received six of these Compostellas this year, as we walked three Caminos back to back. We arrived into Santiago after our third Camino,
( Primitivo), at the end of July, luckily! There were 15,000 European youth expected to arrive in Santiago the following week and that may explain the record 4,978 on the 4th August.
When we walked the Frances in May/June this year it was quite busy and there seemed to be more walking than when we first walked it in August/September 2014.
 
Something fairly rare: some data from Logroño.

Their municipal pilgrim albergue welcomed 2,673 pilgrims during the summer months (July and August) and, in total, 7,243 pilgrims since the beginning of 2022. These figures "do not reach the pre-pandemic data but are approaching them little by little". For comparison: in 2019, they had 2,794 pilgrims during the summer months and 8,815 during January-August 2019.

BTW, only the parochial albergue and the municipal albergue are exclusively for pilgrims; according to Gronze.com, everything else, even when it is called albergue, is open to all travellers.

In general, the hospitality business of Logroño had an excellent summer 2022: 2% more guests than in 2019, with an average stay of about one and a half nights per traveller, i.e. one or two nights. Logroño, like Pamplona, is a popular destination.

https://www.europapress.es/la-rioja...tes-verano-antes-pandemia-20220927132155.html and numerous other news articles.
 
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There are a number of different perspectives and comparisons that I am interested in. Perhaps we can start a conversation to allow access to the raw data?

It is refreshing that others like those posting in this thread are developing their interest in data and its presentation.
I suspect there may well be issues with data protection - releasing aggregate data (eg male vs female) isn't usually a problem; but if you get the raw data it could very well be that there is (absolutely random example) only one female pilgrim from Iceland and now you can get their start point etcetera.
 
I suspect there may well be issues with data protection
The first thing that you see when you start to fill in the online application form for obtaining your Compostela is some blurb about the GRDP. And who would not know what that is ... Every applicant enters personal details such as telephone number, email, first and last name, sex, age and nationality. You can bet your last eurocent on this: there would be issues with data protection if third parties would want to have access to these data. :cool:
 
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I think the other thing that gets forgotten quite often when comparing numbers or thinking "but I don't see them" when it comes to Spanish pilgrims is that the vast majority of them just want to get the Compostela and do as close to the minimum distance as possible. So they'll start in Sarria, Tui or Ferrol and you will rarely see them before this. (And if you do talk to them, most of them will declare you absolutely insane for starting further out!).
I'd be quite curious to see a division of distance walked vs nationality...
This comment surprises me because I have had quite the opposite experience, albeit on the VdlP and not camino Francés, many pilgrims I met were Spanish and for several it was actually important to begin from their hometown or on a camino near to their hometown (South or East Spain) and finish in Santiago. The completion represented a fulfilment of a pilgrimage, possibly with some religious connotation. To put numbers to my comment: My “camino family“ whom I met and walked with on and off amounted to perhaps 10-12 different people during my camino and 6 were Spanish. I would also say that 80% of the bicigrinos who passed me were Spanish.
Perhaps less Spanish on the Francés? Or the time of year makes a difference?
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I read somewhere that the lowest number of Compostelas was for the year 1972: about sixties delivered for all the year...
 
Perhaps less Spanish on the Francés? Or the time of year makes a difference?
I am going out on a limb here with a bit of personal anecdotal evidence and a lot of gut feeling. The time of year must make a difference, in addition to the location/area. I walked the CF in sections and at very different times of the year, and the time where I noticed the highest proportion of Spanish walkers among the pilgrim population was during the days before Easter and before Burgos.

Very generally speaking, there may be a difference in patterns for Spanish peregrinos and peregrinas: a greater tendency to walk only sections, compared to the international pilgrim who comes from very far away; a greater tendency to walk during the summer months and around national holiday long weekends; a greater tendency to walk as a couple, as a family, as a group of friends, as a group from one own's parish. From my own experience, I know that when you walk with a friend or family member or a group of friends, you tend to stick more to each other's company; you also tend to want to chat in your common language and not in a foreign language (please, simply take this as an observation). In my opinion, all this may contribute to an overall impression that there are fewer Spanish pilgrims than there actually are.
 
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…In my opinion, all this may contribute to an overall impression that there are fewer Spanish pilgrims than there actually are.
Do you mean to imply that the percentage of Spanish pilgrims across the Camino may be greater than the statistic for compostelas issued may suggest? (For instance 45% in 2019?).
 
Do you mean to imply that the percentage of Spanish pilgrims across the Camino may be greater than the statistic for compostelas issued may suggest? (For instance 45% in 2019?).
No, I would not know how to assess that. It was just an attempt to illustrate the personal impressions that we may have gained because we don't register the nationalities of all the pilgrim walkers around us but mainly those with whom we happen to interact or choose to interact. Or who choose to interact with us ☺️. I have to add that I don't stay in dormitories. This may also influence personal observations about the statistical composition of the caminantes population.

BTW, the website I mentioned a few times has totals of Compostelas by nationality since 2004. Of these, 2 million are held by Spanish nationals, followed by Italy (290,000), Germany (285,000), Portugal (167,000), USA (155,000) and France (140,000). Total number since 2004: 4 million.
 
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Another 3000+ Compostelas on the last day of September - a Friday! A number that strikes me as quite high for this time of the year.

66,000 this September versus 45,000 in pre-Covid September 2019.

And unlike then, no complaints about long waiting lines at the Santiago Pilgrim Office …
 
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Record numbers at the pilgrim office in Santiago for September 2022 but no such record numbers for September 2022 at the pilgrim office in SJPP: about 11,000 pilgrims in September 2019 and only about 10,000 pilgrims in September 2022.
 
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I've just looked at today's pilgrim office total. 2847 Compostelas issued today. In October? Remarkable! Going to be interesting to see the final sum at the end of the year.
October - December 2019 was ≈ 47,000
Januar 2022 - today is ≈ 382,000

So the final sum for 2022 is likely to be more than 430,000 Compostelas! Only a small minority, however, will have walked SJPP to Santiago ...

Previous annual record was ≈ 347,000 Compostelas.

(Figures taken from solviturambulando.es)
 
I've just looked at today's pilgrim office total. 2847 Compostelas issued today. In October? Remarkable! Going to be interesting to see the final sum at the end of the year.
A spur of the moment notion brought us to Sarria last Sunday
Now think of Piccadilly Circus and multiply that by10
The place is heaving with walkers. Never seen anything like it.
Its a circus,
A few days however we stayed in the “in between“ stages so much less bumping into each other and queuing for ages for a coffee and toilet

The large numbers might in part be to this being a holy year also all the Americans that we’ve spoken to ….and there seem to be hundreds have had to defer their pilgrimage from the lockdown years of 20/21
Lets Hope we won’t be trampled on the way in to Santiago tomorrow,
 
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A spur of the moment notion brought us to Sarria last Sunday
Lets hope we won’t be trampled on the way in to Santiago tomorrow,
Buen Camino, @Annette london. You timed your walk well ;) - weekend in Sarria and weekend in Santiago ... that guarantees maximum numbers.

A reminder of the arrival pattern, of the weekly ebb and flow, of those who come to Santiago and get their Compostela, as seen this week and pretty much every other week:

1,615 on Tue 4 Oct​
1,771 on Wed 5 Oct​
2,020 on Thu 6 Oct​
2,807 on Fri 7 Oct​

I boldly predict that today's (Saturday) number of Compostelas will be in the 2,000 range, too, before it goes down again at the beginning of the new week.
 
A spur of the moment notion brought us to Sarria last Sunday
Now think of Piccadilly Circus and multiply that by10
The place is heaving with walkers. Never seen anything like it.
Its a circus,
That sounds pretty much what I saw too when I last past through Sarria in 2016. I used to like the place but on that walk I just passed straight through without stopping and found somewhere much quieter for the night.
 
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The counter on solviturambulando.es stands at 397,542 Compostelas. There is only one question now 😉: Will the all-time record of 400,000 Compostelas have been reached by this Friday evening (14 October) or by tomorrow evening?
 
The counter on solviturambulando.es stands at 397,542 Compostelas. There is only one question now 😉: Will the all-time record of 400,000 Compostelas have been reached by this Friday evening (14 October) or by tomorrow evening?
First thought was probably tomorrow evening. But there were 2231 yesterday - a Thursday. And I've just been watching a stream of bodies passing the CRTVG webcam at Bando. So I'm beginning to wonder if the 400,000 will be hit today after all!

bando.jpg

 
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Wow. And with the holiday yesterday, how many took today off and will be arriving over the weekend. Sunday's statistics should be quite interesting.
 
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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
They track pilgrims by country, sex, age, profession.

And as @Kathar1na posted way upthread, a member here @diegoromerosm maintains a site of data and graphs.
A forum member, @diegoromerosm, maintains a website where the data about Compostelas issued by the Pilgrim Office are presented in various graphs. In every year, the number of arrivals / Compostelas reaches its peak during the summer months. This August 2022 broke all records and shows higher monthly numbers than ever before, driven mainly by Spanish pilgrims - 20,000 resp. 15,000 more in August 2022 than in August 2010. Other data show that this is mainly due to the number of pilgrims who started in towns / walked on sections of the various Caminos that are close to Santiago or in Galicia only.

Source: https://solviturambulando.es/
View attachment 133452
 
I've been wondering just how much the Holy Year has actually increased the total numbers walking. Just been looking at the figures for Holy Years since 1993 and working out how great an increase there was over the previous year in each case.

Given the vast increase in total numbers annually over that period the size of the Holy Year "blip" in absolute terms seems remarkably consistent. The 1993 total was 89,672 greater than the previous year and in fact was ten times the previous year's figure. In 1998 the blip was 124,487. In 2003 it was 105,330. In 2010 it was 126,826. It looks likely that this year's total will be in the region of 430,000 - an increase of approximately 82,000 over the last pre-Covid year in 2019. So the Holy Year blips in 1993 and in 2022 look set to be quite similar in size in absolute terms - despite the fact that the 1993 overall total number was less than 1/4 that of 2022. And although the final total this year is already well over previous records the 2022 Holy Year blip looks set to be the smallest in recent history.
 
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And although the final total this year is already well over previous records the 2022 Holy Year blip looks set to be the smallest in recent history.
All the same, I'm glad to have walked farther away this year. . .as @Kathar1na says -
Quite remarkable, I think - number of Compostelas

About Korean pilgrims:
great differences in language and cultural and religious history.
It's not so well known that about 30% of South Koreans are Christian. It's a very complicated history.
 
All the same, I'm glad to have walked farther away this year. . .as @Kathar1na says -
I walked the Via de la Plata from Seville in January and February and could probably have counted all the pilgrims I met over nearly 1000km on my fingers and toes. A surprisingly solitary experience. But I would not have chosen to walk any of the major routes in peak seasons this year!
 
Record numbers were registered in 2022 at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago but no such records were registered at the Pilgrim Welcome Office in SJPP in 2022. Their monthly data have been consistently lower in 2022 compared to 2019, a trend that was yet again confirmed this October:

October 2019: 4397 pilgrims​
October 2022: 4172 pilgrims​
Source: Facebook group of the Pilgrim Welcome Office of SJPP
Totals to date (from January until the end of October): 60,000 pilgrims in 2019 versus 52,000 pilgrims in 2022. Definitely no Holy Year 'blip' there.
 
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Record numbers were registered in 2022 at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago but no such records were registered at the Pilgrim Welcome Office in SJPP in 2022. Their monthly data have been consistently lower in 2022 compared to 2019, a trend that was yet again confirmed this October:

A number of other routes seem to be seeing considerable growth. The same is true for the Sarria to Santiago section of the Frances. My impression is that many people are now far more aware of the other Caminos and it is no longer automatically assumed that the Camino Frances will be the first choice for either first-time or returning pilgrims. I think there may be at least two factors at play in the decline of SJPDP as the starting point for pilgrimages. There are now many practical alternative routes and development of these continues. And secondly word has spread of how busy the Frances has become in recent years which makes it a less attractive prospect for those like myself who would prefer a more solitary experience.
 
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