Census figures show significant increase in Muslims, Orthodox Christians and people declaring ‘no religion’

Numbers of Muslims and Orthodox Christians in Ireland have risen significantly since 2006, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The latest Census 2016 figures show that Ireland’s Muslims comprise 63,443 people – up 28.9 per cent in 10 years – while Orthodox Christians are up by 37.5 per cent to 62,187.

The CSO adds that more than a quarter of all Orthodox Christians in the State are Romanians.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of people who say they have no religion. 

The total of 468,421 people declaring no religion is a 73.6 per cent rise on the 2011 Census. Students are the largest group indicating they have no religious faith.

While numbers of Roman Catholics declined by almost 3.4 per cent, they still represent the most dominant faith in Ireland, with 3,729.115 declaring their membership in the 2016 Census. Church of Ireland representation also declined by 2 per cent to 126,414.