[Church of England] The Church of England has published a new overview of its finances for the 10 years from 2004-2013, drawing together information from over 12,000 parishes, 44 dioceses, 41 cathedrals and three National Church Institutions (NCIs) into one place.

The report finds that the church's overall income in 2013 was just over £1.41 billion, over half of which was from donations from parishioners, fundraising and grants. It also shows that the majority of the income from the NCIs is from the Church Commissioners, an investment fund of around £6 billion which uses its returns to support the mission of the church across the country.

Carol Fletcher, Senior Financial Planner for the Church of England, said "Bringing together statistics from across the Church of England is a great way of showing the extent of what we do and how we function. Through our investments, trading income and of course the generosity of parishioners, we have been able to continue in our mission to be a Christian presence in every community."

The report also reveals:

• Weekly giving per parishioner has increased across the period of the study.
  
  
• Two thirds (67%) of the Church of England's income comes from parishes, 9% from dioceses, 9% from cathedrals and 15% from the NCIs (predominantly the Church Commissioners).
  
  
• Expenditure in 2013 was slightly higher than income, at just under £1.43 billion. Just over half of expenditure was for clergy stipends, clergy housing and parishes, and cathedral operating costs.
  
  
• Caring for church buildings, including cathedrals, represents 13% of overall expenditure.

Notes

The report is available to download here.

The Church of England is made up of a number of distinct but interconnected organisations, all of which are independent bodies. The Financial Overview amalgamates the finances of the Church of England to show its scale as if it were one, consolidated organisation.

The three National Church Institutions covered by the report are the Archbishop's Council, the Church Commissioners, and the Church of England Pensions Board.