The latest edition of International Scientology News is here and once again, we thought it’d be fun to dissect some of their facts and figures to help us understand the state of Scientology globally. The publication is sent to Scientologists across the world and is also freely available via their mobile phone app. This is the 83rd issue of the magazine and the cover features a picture of elusive leader David Miscavige delivering his keynote speech at the 2025 New Years event, which took place in Los Angeles last December.
According to the magazine, “in the last 90 minutes…”
“3 new auditors” were made. This works out to be 17,520 new auditors a year, assuming there are 1440 minutes in a day and 365 days in a year.
“2 OT Levels were completed”, which suggests Scientology delivers 11,680 OT levels a year. There are currently eight Operating Thetan levels on the so-called “Bridge to Total Freedom” so assuming one Scientologist completes all 8, that makes 1,460 people.. Or if the average Scientologist only makes it to OT3, the ‘Wall of Fire’ level where they learn about Xenu, this would mean there are only 3,893 OTs made in a year.
When it comes to property, the magazine claims Scientology have “over 18 million square feet of facilities” with “77 ideal orgs” globally. It also says there are “99 nations and territories” that are home to OTs. However, the OT levels can only be delivered at ‘Advanced Organisations’ – which are in Los Angeles, Clearwater, Copenhagen, East Grinstead, Johannesburg and Sydney. Advanced Orgs can deliver up to OT 5, with Flag in Clearwater being the only place allowed to deliver OT 6 and 7. There’s also the Freewinds, Scientology’s cruise ship which remains the only place on the planet that delivers the highest level, OT 8.
So if 11,680 OT levels are delivered annually across 7 properties, that makes an average of 1,668 per ‘Advanced Org’ – equivalent to just 334 parishioners reaching OT 5 at each org per year, or less than 1 a day.
Scientology’s website lists 67 Ideal Orgs, plus 6 ‘Ideal’ Advanced Orgs leaving us with a total of 73 – four less than the magazine states.
On the next page, dedicated to I HELP (International Hubbard Ecclesiastical League of Pastors) and SMI (Scientology Missions International), the magazine claims “3.2 million individuals have discovered Dianetics and Scientology through I HELP and SMI.” Using their own statistics, this indicates just 3.65% of parishioners reached through field auditors and the Mission network go on to complete an OT Level.
In a feature focusing on their expansion into Balkans, Scientology boast “19 percent of Moldova’s population has been reached with Scientology solutions.” As of January 2024 the country’s population was 2.42 million, which suggests Scientology has marketed to 459,800 people.
However, the article goes on to say the Chisinau Mission responsible for the campaign had “100 service completions” in the year – just 0.02% of those who had been ‘reached’. This means 99.98% of Moldovans who received information about Scientology did not complete a course.
Nonetheless, Scientology claims it is the “fastest growing religion” on planet Earth.
