Number of children baptised Catholic drops 30% in decade
Catholic baptisms in Ireland have dropped by 30% over the last decade, according to data from the Iona Institute. The decline is attributed to both a significant drop in birth rates and increasing secularization across the island.
Why it matters
The data illustrates a significant shift in the cultural and religious landscape of Ireland, moving away from traditional Catholic practices.
The number of children baptised as Catholic on the island of Ireland has fallen 30% in a decade.
Figures from Catholic dioceses, compiled by the faith-based advocacy group the Iona Institute, show that between 2015 and 2025, baptisms in the Dublin archdiocese declined by 40%.
Taking Dublin out of the equation, the number of baptisms declined by 26%, island-wide, over the decade.
A summary document published by the institute has noted a fall in the number of births during the same period.
CSO figures show that births registered in the Republic fell from 65,909 in 2015 to 54,125 in 2025 - almost 18%.
Birth rates also fell 21% in Northern Ireland during the same period.
In Dublin, births have fallen more in the city and county than in the Republic as a whole between 2015 and 2025, 22% versus 18% over that period.
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