Large non-religious population overlooked in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Humanists has renewed its call for political leaders and public bodies to recognise and reflect the country’s large and growing non-religious population, as the latest Northern Ireland Life & Times Survey, out today, has once again shown that over a quarter of adults now identify with no religion.

The 2024 survey continues a dramatic long-term shift away from religious affiliation, with levels of non-religiosity now more than double what they were two decades ago.

The trend is unmistakable and shows that Northern Ireland is becoming less religious. Yet government policy, public institutions, and community narratives continue to ignore this fundamental change.

In areas from education and health to political representation and funding, the needs and rights of the non-religious are routinely overlooked. All state-funded schools are Christian. And hospital chaplaincy services still rarely offer pastoral care for the non-religious, despite clear need and existing provision in other parts of the UK.

Boyd Sleator, Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator, said:

‘These figures confirm what we and many others have known for years: the non-religious make up a very significant part of Northern Irish society, yet we are treated as an afterthought. Every year, data shows more and more people in Northern Ireland are living their lives without religion. But our public life remains frozen in time, structured around the old binary of Catholic and Protestant. That might reflect political convenience – it does not reflect reality.

‘If Northern Ireland is to become a fairer and more inclusive place, our institutions must catch up. That means ending the Christian monopoly on schools. It means making sure pastoral care in hospitals and prisons reaches all patients and service users, not just Christians. And it means recognising that shared civic values, not inherited religious labels, are what unite us today.’