Landshagir - 01.11.2012, Page 392

Menningarmál og rannsóknir
LANDSHAGIR 2012 STATISTICAL YEARBOOK OF ICELAND 2012
20
392
Statistics Iceland collects figures on
cultural activities from other institutions.
Information is collected from specialised
institutions and organisations (secondary
data) and an annual inquiry by sending out
questionnaires to companies and institu-
tions involved in media and culture activi-
ties (primary data). The cinemas, theatres
and museums across the country provide
Statistics Iceland with information on the
number of viewers and visitors, perfor-
mances and exhibitions and the nation-
ality of films and plays. Statistics Iceland
also prepares statistics on published books
and periodicals and their subject as well as
the number of volumes, loans and employ-
ees of Icelandic libraries. Statistics Iceland
collects figures on operation of mass media
and provides figures on the broadcast-
ing hours and programmes of radio and
television stations. Figures on religious
affiliation are also bublished by Statistics
Iceland.
Visitors to museum increases
In the year 2010, the estimated number of
visitors to museums totalled 1.6 million.
The number of museum visitors has almost
doubled since the mid-1990s, when the
number of visitors was 829 thousand.
Attendance to museums is greatest in the
Capital region, some 950 thousand visitors,
which equals 59% of the total. Attendance
to museums in other regions is signifi-
cantly lower.
Each individual attends the theatre once a year
In the theatrical season 2010/2011, the
number of spectators to performances of
theatres and professional and amateur
theatre groups within the country totalled
299 thousand. This equals each indi-
vidual attending the theatre once a year.
The number of spectators decreased by
78 thousand (12%), between theatri-
cal seasons. The number of works staged
in the last theatrical season totalled 159,
which were performed 1,585 times.
The number of periodicals and newspapers
increases
The number of periodicals increased in
2010 compared with the previous year. A
total of 728 periodicals were published in
2010 and 701 in 2009, while 1,122 periodi-
cals were published in 1998 when publica-
tion peaked. The number of newspapers
increased also between the years 2009 and
2010, from 64 newspapers to 72.
Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
76.8% of the population
On 1 January 2012 the members of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland
numbered 245.456, 76.8% of the total popu-
lation of that age, compared with 247.245,
(77.8%) in the previous year. The Roman
Catholic Church Diocese was the second
largest religious organisation in 2012, with
10,455 members. Persons with no religious
affiliation numbered 15,802 adult persons
1 January 2012, while 18,662 persons were
members of non-registered organisations
or not specified.