‘Tide turns’ on religious decline in Ireland as Gen Z shows growing interest in faith
The new report highlights a generational gap in relation to religiosity between millennials and Gen Z, with 18-24-year-olds more likely to identify as religious or ‘not sure’ than are 25-34-year-olds.
Northern Ireland is the most religious region of the United Kingdom and the most religious part of the island of Ireland, according to a new report on religious trends commissioned by the Irish bishops.
The study, “The Turning Tide?”, shows that just 24 per cent of people in Northern Ireland identify as having no religion, compared to 32 per cent in the Republic of Ireland.
A total of 55 per cent of the adult population in United Kingdom identify as having no religion, double the number in Northern Ireland.
While a third of Northern Irish adults identify as Catholic (34 per cent) and Other Christian (35 per cent), this compares to 10 per cent and 27 per cent respectively in the UK.
The study also shows that the Republic of Ireland continues to have a relatively high level of overall religiosity in Europe on measures of religious affiliation, religious service attendance, and frequency of prayer.
In terms of Mass attendance, the report notes that Ireland’s Catholics are among Europe’s more practising, with 31 per cent saying they attend at least once a week.
This places Ireland fourth overall in Europe, alongside Italy (32 per cent), but well behind Poland (49 per cent) and Slovakia (46 per cent).
“The Turning Tide?” was compiled by Dr Stephen Bullivant, Professor of Theology and the Sociology of Religion at St Mary’s University, UK, and Professorial Research Fellow in Theology and Sociology at the University of Notre Dame, Australia, and Emily Nelson who is completing a PhD in Sociology at Queen’s University Belfast.
It shows that 35 per cent of Irish adults and 25 per cent of Irish young adults attend religious services on at least a monthly basis.
Another notable finding is that while key measures of Irish religiosity have declined significantly since the European Social Survey began in 2002/03, the most recent round in 2023/24 shows a strong uptick in religious affiliation and religious practice.
This is most strongly evident among those aged 16-29 years, across both Catholics and Protestants. The new report also highlights a generational gap in relation to religiosity between millennials and Gen Z, with 18-24-year-olds more likely to identify as religious or “not sure” than are 25-34-year-olds.
This younger cohort are more likely to engage with faith through reading, attending courses or via the internet through YouTube or influencers.
The research findings regarding Gen Z echo those of the Bible Society’s “A Quiet Revival?” in England and Wales. The Irish findings raise the question of whether Ireland may be seeing a “turning tide”?
No comments:
Post a Comment