2015 Camino Statistics
The latest Camino statistics from the Pilgrims Office in Santiago are out, giving us a very interesting insight into the Camino in 2015; they reveal the most popular routes, top countries on the Camino and the pilgrims’ favourite starting points.
Please note the statistics reflect the number of Compostela certificates, hence taking into account only those pilgrims finishing in Santiago and completing at least 100kms walking (or 200km by bike). They don’t account for pilgrims who do not finish in Santiago, or those who don’t request the Compostela.
A fantastic total number of 262.458 pilgrims reached Santiago in 2015 and received their Compostela pilgrim certificate.
In Camino statistics part 1, we look at the most popular routes and the pilgrims’ favourite starting Camino points in 2015.
Most popular Camino routes
1-French Way, Camino Frances, remains the favourite Camino route with 171.207 (65.61%) pilgrims.
2-The Camino Portugues, Portuguese Way stays as the second favourite, with 43.135 (16.44%) pilgrims choosing this route in 2015.
3-Northern Way, Camino del Norte, is the third most popular route with 15.871 (6.05%) of pilgrims making it all the way to Santiago.
4-Original Way, Camino Primitivo, was the chosen route for 11.426 (4.35%) pilgrims.
5-English Way, Camino Ingles, is increasing in popularity with 9.247 (3.52%) Compostelas issued for pilgrims following in the footsteps of British and Irish pilgrims.
6-Via de la Plata accounted for 9.221 (3.51%) of the total of pilgrims to Santiago.
Favourite Camino starting points
And these are the top 10 places chosen by pilgrims to start their journey:
67.408 (25,68%) pilgrims started their journey in Sarria (Galicia) on the Camino Frances, 111kms away from Santiago.
31.052 (11,83%) started in Saint Jean Pied de Port (France), starting point of the French Way route.
13.799 (5,26%) departed from the historic town of Tui (Galicia), on the Portuguese Way, the Camino Portugues; some 100kms away from Santiago.
13.199 (5,03%) chose to start from wonderful Porto, in Northern Portugal. Porto is the starting point of the Portuguese Coastal Way and also an important stop on the classic Camino Portugues.
11.495 (4,38%) pilgrims started their Camino Frances from the city of León.
10.351 (3,94%) departed from the picturesque mountain village of O Cebreiro, also on the Camino Frances.
8.685 (3,31%) pilgrims started from Ferrol and took the English Way to Santiago.
8.400 (3,20%) chose Ponferrada, home of the iconic Templars Castle, as their starting point, also on the French Way, but also the starting point of the Camino de Invierno (one of our new Camino routes for 2016).
7.414 (2,82%) started from the village of Roncesvalles, on the Camino Frances.
6.410 (2,44%) started from Oviedo on the Camino Primitivo, the oldest Camino route.
We’ll have more Camino statistics coming soon…
For more information about the Camino de Santiago routes or to book your Camino trip, contact our travel specialists
