A new report from the Irish Catholic Bishops provides evidence of a ‘quiet revival’ of religiosity among some young Irish people.

The study evaluates data from two recent Iona Institute surveys conducted by Amárach Research, as well as European Social Study surveys and other academic sources.

It found Ireland remains among the more religious countries in Europe, on measures of religious affiliation, religious service attendance, and frequency of prayer. Among western European countries, it is one of very few outliers with a relatively high level of overall religiosity.

Among Catholics specifically, Ireland also ranks towards the higher end of (especially western) European countries on measures of weekly Mass attendance and daily prayer.

While key measures of Irish religiosity have declined significantly since the European Social Survey began in 2002/03, the most recent round – 2023/24 – shows a strong “uptick” in religious affiliation and religious practice.

This effect is most strongly evident among those aged 16-29 years, across both Catholics and Protestants.