Pilgrim Office statistics

[trecile]

I had read that the statistics page had changed, but only just checked it out a couple of days ago. I am having trouble finding the information that I want in the new format.

For example if I want to see how many Compostelas were issued in a particular month, all that I see is this graph.
There are only actual numbers for April through October. Is there any way to find the numbers for every month?

 

[natefaith]

I was just playing with it. Have you seen the drop down menus for Year and Month all the way over to the right at the head of the page? In the "Mes" dropdown menu, unclick Select All and then click on the month you want to look at. The numbers at the heading will change depending on the month, to show the number of pilgrims that received their Compostelas that month. For example, February of 2022: https://oficinadelperegrino.com/estadisticas-2/ (Edit - this link just goes to the Estadisticas page, not specifically February of 2022 )

If you click on "Tabla" instead of "Gráfico," anywhere on the page, the graphs turn to tables and the numbers become cleaner/ easier to read.

The only thing is that the graph that you posted remains for the year 2022, no matter which month I choose from the dropdown menu.

 

[trecile]

Thanks @natefaith, that's very helpful.
I do wish that they had a total number, but I can add up the Spaniards and Foreigners.

 

[natefaith]

I do wish that they had a total number, but I can add up the Spaniards and Foreigner

Weird! Does it not show the total number for you as the first figure on the left, in the header?

 

[trecile]

Weird! Does it not show the total number for you as the first figure on the left, in the header?

Okay, I'm feeling pretty dumb now. The whole thing takes up so much screen space that I hadn't scrolled over far enough to see it!

 

[natefaith]

I completely agree. I've had to scroll both left and right to find ALL of the info that's there. I didn't even clock the two dropdown menus the first time I looked.

 

[trecile]

I'm tempted to delete this thread, but maybe it can help others so I'll leave it.

 

[Kathar1na]

@trecile, is this what you are looking for?

 

[trecile]

@trecile, is this what you are looking for?

Yes, how did you get that?

 

[trecile]

Yes, how did you get that?

I figured it out. Even on a laptop it's a lot of sideways scrolling!

 

[Kathar1na]

Even on a laptop it's a lot of sideways scrolling!

The scaling is terrible and fiddly. When you go down to the bottom right on your screen (for me on iMac or iPad) you see a thing (slider?) where you can change the size of the display. For example here it is set to 50%:



Largest size is 400% .

 

[Kathar1na]

Despite its shortcomings, the tools for analysing and visualising their Compostela statistics are neat.

For example a comparison of numbers of Compostelas per month for 2022 and 2023: August is not yet over but it is unlikely that last year's numbers will be reached in the next few days, and in June and July they did not reach last year's numbers either. The increase in the total number for this year (so far) occurred mainly in April and May. (scale of axis for number of pilgrims/Compostelas is not the same in the two graphs!)

 

[lt56ny]

99 times out of 100 whenever there is an update on anything tech related, it is shortly followed by me getting a migraine.

 

[SarahTheKiwi]

Very interesting statistics @Kathar1na. Interesting that May is higher than June or July. I will starting at SJPDP late April and arriving Santiago early June. Are there any statistics showing people leaving SJPDP in 2023? I'm a poor driver of technology.

 

[trecile]

Are there any statistics showing people leaving SJPDP in 2023? I'm a poor driver of technology.

Yes, the pilgrim office in St Jean posts them on their Facebook page.
Here are the statistics up through July this year.

 

[Kathar1na]

I know that I am not going to explain this well but one or the other may find it useful to know: on my iPad - and presumably on other tablets and smartphones - I cannot zoom in or out with two fingers when I open the webpage. Which is a major nuisance because the statistics page of the Oficina del Peregrino opens with such a huge magnifying factor.

I then scroll down and change the slider from 100% to a lower percentage. Once I’ve done this, I can then zoom in and out by screen touch. The slider needs to be set only once at the beginning.

 

[SarahTheKiwi]

Thanks for the stats @trecile . Love a good look at stats! Interesting to see changes in habits over time.

 

[Kathar1na]

I learnt a new Spanish verb today: el Camino se desploma en Agosto - the Camino collapsed this August writes the Correo Gallego newspaper.

Not because too many pilgrims walked and claimed a Compostela in August, no, it’s because 71,000 pilgrims arrived at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago this August and that is -17% compared to last year’s numbers, says the OdP’s statistics website.

Already in July 2023 there was a minus and not a plus: -9%.

Overall, the increase from January to August 2023 stands at a measly 2% compared to 2022, with a total of 310,000 Compostelas and at least as many Camino peregrin@s - more than enough if anybody asked me but nobody does.

 

[Bradypus]

Overall, the increase from January to August 2023 stands at a measly 2% compared to 2022,

You could look at it from a different perspective - this is the first time in over 50 years that Compostela numbers have increased in the year following a Holy Year rather than decreased. Which makes the numbers this year extraordinarily large rather than a "measly" increase!

 

[JabbaPapa]

There are two opposite articles, which I think well illustrate the ongoing 2023 changes :

More pilgrims this summer than recent years in León :

https://www.caminosantiago.org/cpperegrino/prensa/verprensa.asp?PrensaID=19849

But fewer summer pilgrims arriving in Santiago :

https://www.elcorreogallego.es/santiago/2023/09/02/camino-desploma-agosto-llegaron-71-91596730.html

It's clear from the stats both that early 2023 was very busy, and that we long-distance pilgrims have returned -- but I would guess that those 100K "Sarria pilgrims" who had been frustrated by lockdown are now starting to be much fewer in number having now finally completed their delayed shorter Caminos.

In essence though, more pilgrims along the length of the Francès ; diminishing numbers arriving in Santiago ; but still a record year from all the early 2023 Winter & Spring pilgrims.

 

[JabbaPapa]

those 100K "Sarria pilgrims" who had been frustrated by lockdown

And of course those doing their Caminos in stages !!

 

[Bradypus]

And of course those doing their Caminos in stages !!

Which includes me this time round. SJPDP to Logroño this year. Feels very strange to stop after such a short walk. Here's a clue to where I am now. At this rate I might qualify for the Compostela stats sometime in 2027...

 

[Camino Chrissy]

This thread confirms that I most definitely am not a Camino addict.

 

[SabsP]

My very subjective screening and impression from when we arrived this Friday, after finishing the Inglés, at the Oficina de Peregrinos in Santiago de Compostela.
We preregistered our credenciales with the QR code.
When you did not do that the security guard gave a ticket at the entrance.
Very smooth waitingline, it went so quickly forward that you had to pay attention.
I was helped by one of the regular workers at the Oficina and she dealt with it all in a swift and helpful way.
Weird to see your Compostela being printed out and not written like many years ago.
One friend got some questions from a nice volunteer who engaged in a friendly matter, my other friend was helped by a volunteer who was only able to speak Spanish and sorry to say that this worker did not have a clue. Maybe they were short of staff?

Lots of studentgroups and local groups from parishes all around the Praza Obraidoro.
I talked with some people and lots of them walked from Sarria.

This was my third Inglés and never I saw it this busy.

So yes, lots of people walking the last 100k. Also lots of luggage forwarding ( though I certainly will stay away from the tourist/pilgrim discussion ).

Lines for entering the cathedral so I we entered the day after, as early as possible.

Still a joy to see people walking in. The emotions when seeing the cathedral are quite universal.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Weird to see your Compostela being printed out and not written like many years ago.

Mine last year was filled out by hand as normal, but that's more my own personal attitude than the norm.

The notion of any visit to the Pilgrim Office being formatted by IT is outside my personal acceptance.

 

[Luka]

Does anyone know how the Muxia-Finisterre pilgrims are counted? I just checked January 2023 (because I am considering a winter pilgrimage) and according to the pilgrims office there were 5 pilgrims in total on that camino for the whole month of January: 2 Spaniards, an Italian, a Dutch and an English pilgrim. I wasn't expecting high volumes, but this must be underestimated...

 

[Pafayac]

According to me, the only way to estimate number of these pilgrims is to count those who asked for a Muxiana and/or a Fisterrana.
Notice that this is the same for Santiago: only pilgrims who get their Compostela are counted.

 

[Bradypus]

Does anyone know how the Muxia-Finisterre pilgrims are counted?

Those are pilgrims who started their pilgrimage in Muxia or Finisterre and walked from there to Santiago. Not people who walk to Santiago then finish their journey in Muxia or Finisterre. That's a fairly small number - especially in midwinter.

 

[Luka]

Those are pilgrims who started their pilgrimage in Muxia or Finisterre and walked from there to Santiago. Not people who walk to Santiago then finish their journey in Muxia or Finisterre. That's a fairly small number - especially in midwinter.

Ah thanks! I wasn't aware of that option. Yes, it will definitely be a small number, but I was just wondering if I would be all by myself or with a few others. Are there any numbers available of pilgrims walking from Santiago to Finisterre/Muxia?

 

[JabbaPapa]

Does anyone know how the Muxia-Finisterre pilgrims are counted?

If their walk is 100K+ to Santiago (so depends on itinerary) or they are locals walking from home, then yes.

In other circumstances, it's doubtful -- but there is a Way involving both Muxia and Fisterra that is over 100K.

 

[Bradypus]

In other circumstances, it's doubtful -- but there is a Way involving both Muxia and Fisterra that is over 100K.

To qualify for the Compostela you can start in Muxia and walk to Finisterre and then to Santiago. Or begin in Finisterre and walk to Muxia before heading to Santiago. Walking directly from either town to Santiago is too short to qualify.

 

[Quietways]

Does anyone know how the Muxia-Finisterre pilgrims are counted? I just checked January 2023 (because I am considering a winter pilgrimage) and according to the pilgrims office there were 5 pilgrims in total on that camino for the whole month of January: 2 Spaniards, an Italian, a Dutch and an English pilgrim. I wasn't expecting high volumes, but this must be underestimated...

That sounds about right, Luka. For caminos, I usually only walk in Winter. And these past few years that's meant 12 -16 people per stage on the Frances starting in Pamplona. Which is almost a perfect pilgrim number Compare this with 100 per stage this April on the Frances - or the 400 to 900 per stage mentioned elsewhere on the forum.

Other caminos, Primativo, Aragones, San Salvador, Invierno and Portuguese are also very doable in Dec, Jan, March (i always found accomodation at the end of every stage) - but these are for the most part solo walks. I can't recommend Winter highly enough.

 

[Luka]

If their walk is 100K+ to Santiago (so depends on itinerary) or they are locals walking from home, then yes.

In other circumstances, it's doubtful -- but there is a Way involving both Muxia and Fisterra that is over 100K.

I meant if there were any statistics of pilgrims walking from Santiago to Finisterre/Muxia. Obviously not from the pilgrims office, but maybe those figures are kept/estimated otherwise?

 

[Luka]

That sounds about right, Luka. For caminos, I usually only walk in Winter. And these past few years that's meant 12 -16 people per stage on the Frances starting in Pamplona. Which is almost a perfect pilgrim number Compare this with 100 per stage this April on the Frances - or the 400 to 900 per stage mentioned elsewhere on the forum.

Other caminos, Primativo, Aragones, San Salvador, Invierno and Portuguese are also very doable in Dec, Jan, March (i always found accomodation at the end of every stage) - but these are for the most part solo walks. I can't recommend Winter highly enough.

Thanks! That sounds like a perfect number indeed! I am considering walking the (Spanish part of) the Portugués and then on to Finisterre. So those numbers will be smaller.