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Appendix 2: Estimated Counts of Groups and Members

436 wordsrevised 2015-08-01

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A Narrative Timeline Of AA History

Public Version vApril 04'

A Narrative Timeline Of AA History – 1774 to 2003

Appendix 2: Estimated Counts of Groups and Members

When Group Counts Member Counts Notes Yr Base Trend Total US Can O'seas Hosp Prisons Trend Total US Can O'seas Hosp Prisons 1935 2 5 1935-1941 membership from 1936 2 15 AACOA 310 1937 2 40 1938 2 100 1939 400 AACOA 180 1940 2,000 1941 200 8,000 AACOA 192, PIO 266 1942 1943 10,000 LOH 181 1944 360 10,000 BW-FH 166-167, PIO 304 1945 560 15,000 NG 113, BW-FH 163, 180 1946 1,000 30,000 BW-FH 163 1947 1,650 48,613 GTBT 22 1948 2,000 60,000 BW-FH 163, DBGO 287 1949 1950 Year 3,500 3,500 Conference report data used 1951 Year 27% 4,436 3,606 399 216 82 133 0 from 1950 on 1952 Year 11% 4,925 3,938 713 98 176 118,632 91,644 15,360 2,324 9,304 1953 Year 20% 5,905 4,663 504 354 151 233 -1% 117,978 84,329 8,114 8,793 4,425 12,149 Estimated members were 1954 Year 0% 5,927 4,484 559 441 184 259 7% 126,057 89,780 8,671 10,766 4,511 12,128 around triple of that reported 1955 Year 5% 6,249 4,610 574 564 211 290 8% 135,905 93,951 9,545 14,397 4,956 13,056 1956 Year 8% 6,779 4,893 624 710 256 296 3% 139,798 95,661 10,235 15,129 5,936 12,837 1957 Year 0% 6,793 4,755 680 743 290 325 1% 141,795 93,746 10,548 17,501 6,500 13,500 Overseas = GSO guess 1958 Year 14% 7,765 5,443 775 915 285 347 3% 145,830 98,858 11,181 14,471 7,077 14,243 1959 Year 6% 8,211 5,719 801 1,033 302 356 4% 151,606 101,724 11,175 16,651 6,509 15,547 1960 4/61 5% 8,615 5,875 833 1,112 360 435 7% 162,037 108,004 11,524 17,973 6,675 17,373 Estimated members > 300,000 1961 4/62 8% 9,305 6,208 876 1,274 445 502 9% 176,474 109,923 12,554 22,768 10,778 20,451 1962 4/63 8% 10,070 6,600 946 1,484 476 564 7% 189,702 117,953 13,093 25,642 10,602 22,412 1963 4/64 9% 10,956 7,033 1,075 1,690 514 644 10% 209,434 122,483 15,410 32,371 11,417 27,753 Estimated members > 350,000 1964 4/65 7% 11,761 7,543 1,146 1,854 570 648 4% 217,967 128,498 15,928 37,178 10,764 25,000 1965 4/66 6% 12,444 7,821 1,241 2,136 569 677 6% 232,105 133,786 17,180 43,580 10,774 26,157 1966 4/67 7% 13,279 8,177 1,282 2,522 561 737 8% 251,615 140,379 18,630 48,417 14,384 29,805 1967 4/68 7% 14,154 8,484 1,411 2,784 645 830 5% 263,026 142,566 18,757 55,062 16,307 29,870 Estimated members > 400,000 1968 4/69 4% 14,747 8,595 1,556 3,057 648 891 8% 283,329 148,574 21,676 60,756 18,548 33,775 Estimated members > 425,000 1969 4/70 6% 15,624 9,047 1,590 3,350 742 895 5% 297,077 156,974 22,706 63,366 20,160 33,871 Estimatedl members > 450,000 1970 4/71 5% 16,459 9,541 1,667 3,559 767 925 5% 311,450 167,313 26,008 67,044 18,604 32,481 Estimated members > 500,000 1971 4/72 8% 17,776 10,342 1,815 3,921 783 915 6% 329,907 181,419 29,073 71,737 16,900 30,300 Estimated members > 575,000 1972 4/73 17% 20,829 12,137 2,031 4,761 914 986 20% 395,244 211,686 32,740 86,344 28,995 34,977 1973 4/74 8% 22,467 12,869 2,122 5,428 1,030 1,018 7% 421,151 225,911 35,091 102,073 22,915 34,764 Estimated members > 725,000 1974 4/75 11% 25,030 14,448 2,427 6,088 1,046 1,021 19% 502,733 287,699 42,922 107,643 28,057 35,962 Estimated members > 800,000 1975 4/76 6% 26,456 15,308 2,511 6,153 1,351 1,133 6% 533,590 292,646 43,903 126,991 32,711 36,958 Estimated members > 1,000,000 1976 4/77 11% 29,352 16,557 2,683 7,597 1,285 1,230 8% 574,318 320,913 47,843 135,147 30,792 39,323 1977 4/78 8% 31,587 18,382 2,950 7,597 1,400 1,258 7% 612,876 352,807 50,783 135,144 33,544 40,205 Overseas 1977 data used 1978 4/79 5% 33,241 18,926 3,157 8,737 1,285 1,136 2% 627,456 356,383 53,601 149,943 30,788 36,306 1979 4/80 20% 39,964 20,359 3,349 14,016 1,156 1,084 38% 868,171 387,875 56,672 363,572 23,956 35,336 Overseas figures being revised 1980 4/81 5% 42,105 22,169 3,624 14,016 1,182 1,114 5% 907,575 414,434 61,531 363,360 24,822 42,920 1981 4/82 14% 47,797 24,293 3,781 17,650 935 1,138 3% 937,705 455,505 64,244 355,000 24,310 38,153 Much overseas data estimated 1982 4/83 12% 53,576 26,608 3,948 20,669 1,030 1,321 14% 1,065,299 518,790 66,344 412,949 25,750 40,951 GSO stopped quoting estimates 1983 1/84 9% 58,576 29,827 4,197 22,156 1,052 1,344 12% 1,191,916 585,823 69,931 467,419 25,899 42,336 Base changed to January 1 1984 1/85 7% 62,860 31,754 4,286 24,221 1,047 1,552 13% 1,351,793 630,679 71,632 576,236 26,175 46,560 1985 1/86 7% 67,019 33,840 4,445 27,054 1,680 7% 1,445,999 676,234 74,277 644,591 50,400 Hospital (TF) category dropped 1986 1/87 9% 73,192 36,002 4,540 30,868 1,782 8% 1,556,316 727,145 76,377 698,814 53,460 1987 1/88 4% 76,184 38,276 4,654 31,387 1,867 4% 1,617,296 775,040 78,057 707,663 56,010 1988 1/89 12% 85,270 40,693 4,749 38,060 1,768 7% 1,734,734 835,489 81,293 762,605 54,808 1989 1/90 3% 87,696 43,107 4,866 38,060 1,663 3% 1,793,834 896,033 82,949 762,701 51,553 1990 1/91 7% 93,914 46,450 5,046 40,755 1,663 14% 2,047,469 1,012,623 87,532 894,563 52,534 1991 1/92 3% 96,458 48,747 5,173 40,755 1,783 4% 2,120,130 1,079,719 90,735 894,508 54,782 1992 1/93 -8% 89,215 50,325 5,275 31,700 1,915 -3% 2,048,954 1,135,395 94,986 770,437 47,701 Overseas figures revised 1993 1/94 1% 90,155 50,541 5,287 32,190 2,137 1% 2,062,380 1,134,500 96,500 778,829 52,182 GSO records system revision 1994 1/95 -1% 89,239 49,443 5,133 32,578 2,085 -13% 1,790,528 1,127,471 95,546 516,169 50,983 GSO records revision continues 1995 1/96 7% 95,166 50,671 5,259 37,082 2,154 7% 1,922,269 1,153,795 97,397 614,611 56,133 Only 18 out of 40 foreign GSOs 1996 1/97 2% 96,997 50,681 5,275 38,765 2,276 2% 1,959,829 1,158,850 98,720 642,769 59,174 sent in updated figures 1997 1/98 1% 97,568 50,997 5,277 38,895 2,399 0% 1,967,229 1,166,079 102,499 636,414 62,129 1998 1/99 1% 98,710 51,183 5,257 39,804 2,466 1% 1,988,901 1,166,927 101,786 657,062 63,002 1999 1/00 0% 99,024 51,151 5,132 40,222 2,519 0% 1,990,054 1,161,436 97,054 666,527 64,723 2000 1/01 2% 100,766 51,735 5,104 41,423 2,504 9% 2,160,013 1,162,112 98,816 833,100 65,672 2001 1/02 -1% 100,131 51,245 4,965 41,390 2,531 3% 2,215,293 1,160,651 97,124 891,167 66,036 2002 1/03 4% 103,768 51,537 4,903 44,762 2,566 -6% 2,092,460 1,168,990 96,100 760,214 66,942 Avg 6% 7%
  1. The table consists of group and membership data reported by the US/Canada GSO. From 1951 on, the figures were taken from final Conference reports.

  2. The data must be interpreted very carefully, very skeptically and in proper context. Group counts include only those groups asking GSO to be listed (thousands do not). Groups may or may not report membership estimates or update estimates over time. Members can be counted in multiple group estimates and the composition of the numbers has changed at various times from “reported” to “estimated.”

  3. In 1994, a major revision occurred in the US/Canada GSO’s counting methods and record system. The number of groups reported no longer included those described as “meetings” which chose not to be considered “groups.” Such “meetings” (typically special interest) are included in prior year’s data. The 1994 revision can erroneously be interpreted as a steep drop from 1993 to 1994 when, in fact, it simply reflects a procedural change in counting methods.

  4. AA is in about 150 countries (with 51 GSOs overseas). Each year, the US/Canada GSO attempts to contact overseas GSOs and groups requesting to be listed in their records. Where current data are lacking, earlier year’s figures are used. An estimate of membership of non-reporting groups is arrived at by taking an average of reporting groups.

  5. From the beginning, the numbers are at best, “fuzzy” and do need to be interpreted prudently to avoid drawing erroneous conclusions. The table data are not an accurate measure of a specific year’s increase or decrease. However, trends over the decades are indicative (but not exact) of AA groups reaching more places and more AA members achieving recovery.

  6. Average (mean) annual growth in groups and members is 6% and 7% respectively.

A Narrative Timeline Of AA History – 1774 to 2003