Irish census shows drop in Catholic population, jump in ‘no religion’ responses

April 07, 2017

The latest Irish census figures show a steady decline in the number of people who identify themselves as Catholics, and a rise in those who claim no religious affiliation.

The Central Statistics Office revealed that 78% of Irish people identify themselves as Catholics. That figure is down from 84% just five years ago.

Among Ireland’s 4.8 million people, almost 470,000 reported no religious affiliation; that figure was a 74% jump from the previous census.

 

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Further information:

• Census data significant in patronage debate (RTE)