A new report commissioned by the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference shows shifting religious trends and signs of renewal among young adults in Ireland.
The report, titled "The Turning Tide? Recent religious trends on the island of Ireland," provides an analysis of contemporary research into faith practice across the island of Ireland to provide an evidence-based account of recent religious trends.
The report evaluates data from European Social Study (ESS) surveys, the Iona Institute’s two recent surveys (conducted by Amárach Research), and a variety of academic studies, to examine belief, practice, and identity – focusing on Catholicism and other Christian denominations – to highlight regional, generational, and gender trends.
The study, which was discussed at the recent Spring 2026 General Meeting of the Irish Bishops’ Conference, was authored by Stephen Bullivant, Professor of Theology and the Sociology of Religion at Saint Mary’s University, UK, and pharmacist Emily Nelson, who is completing a PhD in Sociology at Queens University Belfast.
Key findings
According to the Irish Bishops' Conference, among the key findings was that Ireland remains among the more religious countries in Europe based on the measure of religious affiliation, religious service attendance, and frequency of prayer.
Among Western European countries, Ireland is one of very few outliers with a relatively high level of overall religiosity.
Among Catholics specifically, Ireland also ranks towards the higher end of (especially western) European countries on measures of weekly Mass attendance and daily prayer.
While key measures of Irish religiosity have declined significantly since the European Social Survey began in 2002/03, the most recent round – 2023/24 – shows a strong uptick in religious affiliation and religious practice.
This effect is most strongly evident among those aged 16-29 years, across both Catholics and Protestants.
Northern Ireland is both the most religious region of the United Kingdom (by a long way), and the most religious part of the island of Ireland, in terms of both affiliation and religious practice.
Meanwhile, Ireland presents a notable divergence from global patterns: although women in the republic are equally likely to be religious, they continue to play an influential role in transmitting faith, even as they express higher levels of moral dissent and institutional dissatisfaction.
Secularisation is not merely linear, but polarisation is occurring particularly within the Republic of Ireland.
"It is saying something"
Reacting to the findings, Archbishop Eamon Martin, President of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said: "The report, very interestingly, does point to some kind of uptick, particularly among young adults, around the ages of 16 to 30.
"The fact that they are taking a new interest in religion and in spirituality - I don't think we should get ourselves too enthusiastic thinking this is a complete reversal of the very obvious decline in religious practice over the last ten, 20 years.
"However, it is saying something.
"So, 'The Turning Tide?' is asking us to reflect on this phenomenon in the light of research and ask ourselves, 'What does this mean to us as Church, as parishes, as dioceses? How are we responding to this growing body of young people who want to know more about God, about Church, about religion?'"
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