The question "How many students in the Golden Dawn are out there" is an interesting question so I will speculate on the answer based on my observations as a member of a practicing Golden Dawn temple.Most of the new members we iniate come from "flyering" the metaphysical books in book stores.We get a broad range of people who join and based on what there intent is determines whether they stay around.Some people are title collectors who belong to a host of other co-masionic orders and want to add the Golden dawn to there list of acomplishments.Once they figure out that advancement depends on a through knowing of the grade material and that you can't buy a advancement they move on.Others think that knowing a little magic will get them wealth ect.Once people figure out that becomming adept requires memerizing a ton of info as well as a commitment to the order and actually doing the rituale work they will leave in search of somthing much easier.Mark Stavish wrote an article pointing out that the Religious publishing and product market is a 6.8 billion dollar industry in the U.S.(Bibles,metaphysical books,candles, yoga mats ect.)yet publishers are hesitant to publish a lot of books on Westeren Esoterism because the market is so small.The publishers actually loos money on those books. To quote Mark "However, the unpalatable truth is that the number of people in the magical community who will buy serious, nonbeginner-level books on magic is to small to pay for the commercial publication of such books.The number of serious magicians in the US is probably under 5000,total.The other half million or so might as well be at a Renaissance Faire".We are part of the instant gratification generation so people would rather spend money on an instant spell book rather then spend the time it takes to truely develope magical skills....