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2 clusters · 5 sources · 8 days · First seen · Last updated

Decline of Catholic baptisms in Ireland

Overview

Research from the Iona Institute indicates that Catholic baptisms in Ireland have declined by approximately 30 percent over a ten-year period. This trend is driven by two main factors: falling birth rates and increasing secularism. Birth rate declines are estimated to account for roughly 60 percent of the decrease.

Census data reflects a shift in religious demographics, with the percentage of the population identifying as Catholic falling from over 79 percent in 2016 to 69 percent in 2022. Concurrently, the number of individuals identifying as having ‘no religion’ has risen. The Dublin Archdiocese reported a particularly significant decline, with baptisms falling by nearly 40 percent.

While a 2025 study noted that 40 percent of the Irish population views the Church negatively—often linked to past revelations of abuse—the report suggests that baptism rates among ‘cultural’ Catholics may indicate that negative attitudes are not universally entrenched.

Entities

Iona Institute · Catholic Church · Dublin Archdiocese · Tom Finegan · Archdiocese of Dublin

Timeline

  1. 17 days ago

    [CULTURE] 2 sources
    Ireland Catholic baptisms decline by nearly 30% in decade

    A report from the Iona Institute shows Catholic baptisms in Ireland fell by nearly 30% from 2015 to 2025, driven by declining birth rates and increasing secularism.

  2. 24 days ago

    [CULTURE] 3 sources
    Ireland baptisms decline by 30 percent over ten years

    Baptisms in Ireland have fallen by 30 percent over the past decade, driven by declining birth rates and rising secularism, according to research from the Iona Institute.

Sources

cathnews.com · catholicvirginian.org · ewtn.co.uk · thebaptistpaper.org · thejournal.ie