Secularization has had its impact in Germany as elsewhere in Europe; nevertheless, 27.2% of the total population is Catholic (22.6 million people as of December 2019), down 5% compared to the year 2000. Before the 1990 unification of the Federal Republic of Germany (or West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (or East Germany), Catholics were 42% of the population of West Germany. What makes it easier to know religious statistics in Germany is that Christian taxpayers must declare their religious affiliation as church tax is deducted by the state to be passed on to the relevant church in the state where the taxpayer lives.