Census Analysis Shows 400% Increase In Non-Religious

In the 20 years from 1991 2011 there has been a 400% increase in the number of people with no religion.

277,237 of the population (6%) now describe themselves as atheists or agnostics, according to the latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office about Census 2011.

While the number of people who describe themselves as Catholic, is also increasing but represents a smaller percentage of the total population.

The congregation is now 3.86m, the highest since records began.

However, that represents 84% of the total population, reaching the lowest point since records began.

According to today’s figures, the same period has also seen significant increases in the non-Catholic population.

There were 129,039 members of the Church of Ireland in April 2011, an increase of 6.4% on 2006.

There were 49,204 Muslims in Ireland in April 2011, a rise of 51.2%, making them the third largest religious group the country.

There were 45,223 Orthodox Christians in Ireland in April 2011, more than double the number five years earlier.

(H)