CathNews New Zealand

Ireland is still the Catholic country of the English-speaking world reports the Irish Times.

Results of the April 2011 census, published Friday, report 84% of Ireland’s population (3.86 million), describe themselves Catholic.

The 179,889 increase in Catholics however represents a 2.8% drop from the 2006 figure. The percentage drop is put down to the the fact that the Republic’s population has increased.

Those who are nearest to the Catholic numbers are the 269,800 with “no religion”. Another 72,914  did not state their religion.

Statistics for other religious groups are:

• Church of Ireland 129,039 (6.4% increase)
• Presbyterian 24,600 (4.5% increase)
• Jehovah’s Witness 6,149 (19.4% increase)
• Islam 49,204 (51.2% increase)
• Hindu 10,688 (75.7% increase)
• Buddhist 8,703 (33.6% increase)
• Orthodox Christians 20,798 (117.4% increase)
• Pentecostal Christians 14,043 (73% increase)

Going against the increased religious trend is Methodist Church in Ireland, traditionally one of the four main Churches, that experienced a 43.7% decrease to 6,842 people who described themselves Methodist.

Sources

• Irish Times
• Image: Irish Literature and Literaria

Additional reading

• America still a religious nation, Gallup poll finds

News category: World.