Catholics Biggest Religious Group in Northern Ireland for First Time, Census Shows

(Bloomberg) — Catholics make up the biggest religious group in Northern Ireland for the first time since the state was formed a little over a century ago, a trend that will likely add fire to a debate over the the region’s future in the UK.

Most Read from Bloomberg

42% of respondents identified as Catholic and 37% as Protestant or other Christian religions in a 2021 census released on Thursday. In 2011, the last time a census was held, 48% identified as Protestant and 45% as Catholic.

Not all Protestants are unionists and not all Catholics are nationalists, but religious identity tends to be a good indicator of attitude to a united Ireland. Northern Ireland was founded in 1921 as a Protestant state, with a majority Protestant population which wanted to remain in the UK, separate to the Catholic southern part of the island.

Still, while recent polls have shown growing support for Irish unity in the longer term, surveys consistently show a majority back remaining in the UK if a vote were held today. Under the terms of the Good Friday peace treaty of 1998 only the UK government can call a vote on Irish reunification and then only if it appears likely a majority in Northern Ireland would back it.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.