I was a field interviewer in a few studies where statistics are gathered regarding religious preference. I would like to see if Catholics' rise in numbers also bears out in attendance, because I think baptized Catholics as infants are far more likely to say they are Catholic without having entered a church any time afterward. It used to be parents would prioritize by first communion and confirmation, but from the many Millenials and Gen X'ers I have interviewed, that no longer seems to be the case.

If we are comparing general statistics with our own congregational reporting, it would be like comparing apples and oranges.