Looking beyond the numbers on Mass attendance

Dr. Philippa Martyr questioned the utility of the findings in the report Absent from the Table, noting that the survey participants do not accurately represent the Australian Catholic population.

The study surveyed just under 2,000 people who do not attend Mass. Martyr noted several demographic discrepancies between the participants and the broader Church. While 30 percent of Australian Catholics live in Victoria, only 10 percent of the study participants were from that state. Additionally, 69 percent of participants were female, compared to 53 percent of the Catholic population according to the 2021 Census.

The report's participants also differed in education and occupation. Martyr stated that 71 percent of those surveyed held university degrees, whereas approximately 25 percent of Australian Catholics do. Furthermore, 48 percent of participants worked in professional occupations, compared to 37 percent of the general Catholic population. Martyr concluded that the study primarily reflects the opinions of white, middle-class, highly educated women aged 40 to 60.