Catholic baptisms in Ireland fall nearly 30% in 10 years
Catholic baptism. Photo: Shutterstock
The number of Catholic baptisms in Ireland has fallen by nearly 30 percent over the past decade, EWTN News reports.
The Iona Institute published findings on the decline in religious indicators in the country. Researchers recorded a 29.6 percent drop in baptisms between 2015 and 2025. The institute identified two main reasons for the trend – falling birth rates and growing secularization.
The decline in births accounted for about 60 percent of the overall drop. Iona Institute chairman Tom Finegan noted that Ireland’s birth rate had fallen by nearly one-fifth over the past ten years. Officials also recorded an increase in the number of people selecting “no religion” on census forms.
As the UOJ reported, Catholic seminaries worldwide have lost 14,000 students.
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