Catholics outnumber Protestants in Northern Ireland for 1st time

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) – Catholics now outnumber Protestants for the first time in Northern Ireland’s history, according to figures published Thursday from the 2021 census.

In terms of religion, the census figures showed that 45.7% of the population identified themselves as Catholic, 43.5% as Protestant and 1.5% as being from a non-Christian background.

In terms of nationality, 42.8% identified themselves as British, 33.3% as Irish and 31.5% as Northern Irish. This is a decrease in the British figure and an increase in the Northern Irish figure from 2011. The census figures also showed that more people are holding Irish passports in Northern Ireland.

The resident population of Northern Ireland was recorded as 1,903,175, the largest ever.

Historically, it was assumed that Catholics would favor succession from the UK and unification with the Republic of Ireland, and Protestants the opposite. However, this sectarian attitude is viewed as outdated by many, with religious identity no longer necessarily dictating points of view on Northern Ireland’s constitutional status.

The 1998 Good Friday Agreement kept Northern Ireland in the UK but gave the Northern Ireland secretary in the British government an obligation to call a referendum on unification with the Republic of Ireland if they believe a majority of Northern Irish would back it.

Sinn Fein, an Irish nationalist party that advocates for the unification of the island of Ireland, was the biggest party in this year’s election to the devolved legislature in Northern Ireland.