Catholic Church in Ireland
In the 2016 Irish census 78.3% of the population identified as Catholic in Ireland; numbering approximately 3.7 million people. Unlike Catholics in the United States, Ireland has seen a significant decline from the 84.2% who identified as Catholic in the 2011 census.
Protestantism in the Republic of Ireland
Protestantism in the Republic of Ireland refers to Protestantism in the Republic of Ireland and its predecessor, the Irish Free State. In 2006, Protestants made up a little over 5% of the state's population. Their population experienced a long period of decline over the 19th and 20th centuries, but grows in the 21st century.