Census 2022: 10% reduction in Roman Catholic numbers

That is a huge drop in a 6 year period. The times they are a changing.

From the Irish Times

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/05/30/census-2022-results-all-the-data-on-irelands-latest-demographics-as-it-happens/

The proportion of the population who identified Roman Catholic as their religion fell from 79% in 2016 to 69% in 2022.

There was a fall in the proportion of the population who identified as Roman Catholic from 3,696,644 (79%) in 2016 to 3,515,861 (69%) in 2022. The No Religion category increased from 451,941 people to 736,210. The Church of Ireland category showed little change but remained the second largest religious category with 124,749 people (2%).

Butson

Is it though?

3.69million down to 3.51 million?

Considering all the abuse scandals, aging population (how many Catholics have literally died in the last 6 years), high levels of immigration.....

Allinall

What was the overall increase in population, and how may of those identified as something other than catholic?

I wonder are there absolute figures to compare?

I think we all now in reality that it's far less than 3.51m , but unfortunately too many people are afraid to tick the no religion box. I'd bet my mortgage that 69% of the kids making their confirmunions at the moment don't attend mass with their parents every Sunday.

That % will continue to plummet in the coming census'

skallywag

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657484#Comment_120657484

I would imagine that a large proportion of those who identify as Roman Catholic do not regularly go to mass.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657484#Comment_120657484

Attending mass or not has no bearing on whether someone identifies as catholic.

purplepanda

Ireland is reverting to a pagan nation according to a Bishop a few years back!

Please make it happen! 🤣 The sooner the better!

Large bottle small glass

Was the question asked the exact same way in both years; it can have a massive influence.

maik3n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657523#Comment_120657523

I think it was the same last time around. It's just a tick box exercise.

This results are actually rather surprising. I wasn't expecting a HUGE decrease but 10% seems quite miniscule considering all that's happened with the church as an institution and the general feeling you get out there in regular life.

Beta Ray Bill

The whole heaven and hell and everlasting life along with some lad sticking a red hot poker up your arse full all eternity if you don't obey this set of rules just doesn't wash with people anymore

When you die, you're worm food. People are educated now. I'm surprised the number isn't higher.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657471#Comment_120657471

high levels of immigration.....

High levels of immigration of whom exactly?

Old people?

Firstly we don't have high levels of immigration, and secondly those immigrants would tend to be younger thus less likely to identify as any religion.

On the contrary high levels of emigration from places like Poland would add to the numbers identifying as Catholic.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657556#Comment_120657556

I expect people probably don't think too much about that Question on the census but I think it's a great result and trend. Hopefully we can get the church out of our schools soon. Many more parents would abandon communions and confirmations if they were told the prep had to take place outside school and they had to help out or even go to mass regularly! It's all a bit of a sham really. Time to grow up.

I am delighted with those numbers and I know the young people growing up today will have zero qualms around saying no religion...except the jedis perhaps.

One eyed Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657523#Comment_120657523

Question was different in 2022 from 2016 -

Census officials cautioned that the question on religion used in last year’s census differed from previous census in 2016 which may impact on comparability.

While the 2016 census asked “what is your religion?’’, the 2022 census asked “what is your religion, if any?”. Response categories also changed in 2022 question, with “no religion” listed as the first response option.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/05/30/census-2022-catholicism-declines-no-religion-and-hinduism-climb-in-latest-data/

Tbh I’m not sure the way the question or the answers were framed would explain a 10% difference, more like the % of Irish Catholics in the population remained same, while people of no religion and other religions increased.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657559#Comment_120657559

Is that you Bishop O'Neill?

https://twitter.com/FrTedQOTD/status/1270088971196956673?lang=en

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657512#Comment_120657512

I don't attend synagogue, or practice Judaism. Would it have been right for me to identify as Jewish on the census form?

NiceFella

How many of those that tick no religion actually practice the rituals. I'd say quite a lot. That to me is being part of the religion no if it buts. Having actual faith is another question entirely.

Gregor Samsa

edit: already mentioned

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657505#Comment_120657505

Define regularly. I know overseas communities which expect to see people on average 1 week in 6, but still count them as members

Large bottle small glass

https://ukandeu.ac.uk/census-2021-are-the-english-really-british/

How a question is asked can be important

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657669#Comment_120657669

If you are Jewish, then yes.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657696#Comment_120657696

If somebody showed up to 1 football match in 6 and never attended training you'd boot them out of the team.

Falthyron

Hopefully, this will lead to changes across education and healthcare in Ireland. TDs shouldn't feel the need to cater to constituents who they think could have Catholic beliefs. I'm all for learning about religion (in a general sense) in school, but the fact that there is an admissions hierarchy and Catholicism is one of the considerations in the hierarchy is an absolute disgrace. Parents who choose not to baptise their children and yet pay taxes which go to the nearby school that will openly discriminate against them if the last spot is between a baptised Catholic and a non-baptised child is outrageous. Education should be universal, religion is personal.

I also reckon as the number further decreases in the coming census and it becomes clear that being Catholic is no longer in vogue, people will feel more brave and honest about how they identify leading to a much more dramatic fall in the number.

One eyed Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657601#Comment_120657601

Wouldn’t hold your breath tbh, plans to build new schools are even further behind plans to build new homes, and as for the prep for the sacraments - couple of places springing up now offering courses, and parents going all out for Instagram! Young people growing up today will be more likely have zero qualms about audacious displays on social media!

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657484#Comment_120657484

Fear of what, exactly would cause people to lie in the census?

Sleepy

I once lived with a primary school teacher who despite being an atheist used to check the Catholic box on the census as she was paranoid the school she taught in might have some means of accessing that information and could fire her as a result.

Not saying it was a rational fear, but it certainly caused her to lie on her census.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657751#Comment_120657751

Disappointing mammy, not honouring dead granny's beliefs, all sorts of nonsense.

The annual CSO stats on catholic weddings are interesting compared to the census. Only 40.5% of weddings in 2022 were catholic ceremonies. And we definitely have all attended church weddings where the couple have not been practicing catholics...riding away before marriage, voting for same sex marriage and abortion, using contraception.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657751#Comment_120657751

Ah come on. Enough of the pretend questions. Don't ruin this thread too.

J.O. Farmer

Based on the numbers in the OP the actual number of catholics is only down 5%,

It's the percentage population that identify as catholic thats down 10% which isn't quite the same thing.

murpho999

Next census form should include the option of "Bouncy Castle Catholic" and then the real catholic numbers would be down to 30-40%.

So many just use the church for communions, confirmations, weddings and funeral and nothing more but they are afraid to leave it behind as it's so ingrained in the culture.

Glad to see it's changing though.

Brussels Sprout

If there was a category called "Non-practicing, self identified Catholic" I think that would be more than the rest combined.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120658047#Comment_120658047

Would be a nonsense category.

You practice or you're not a Catholic