Non-religious marriages significantly outnumber Catholic marriages in Ireland, CSO figures reveal

Non-religious marriages significantly outnumber Catholic marriages in Ireland, the latest figures from CSO 2025 have confirmed. The continuing decline of Catholic marriages is reflected in a drop to 29.8% of marriages in 2025. This is down from 31.6% of marriages in 2024 and 34.3% in 2023. The equivalent figure in 1990 was 93%.

These facts are contrasted with the dominance still exerted by the Catholic Church over primary education in Ireland, in a press release issued today by Education Equality – an advocacy group that campaigns for equality in the provision of education for all children regardless of religion. Education Equality is calling for an end to all religious discrimination in State-funded schools.

"88.3% of Irish primary schools remain under Catholic patronage,” they say – confirming a complete imbalance between the lived beliefs of the vast majority of Irish people and the way in which primary education is run and controlled in Ireland.

In all, 40.3% of couples chose a non-religious marriage ceremony in 2025, at a similar level to 2024 and 2023 when the figure stood at 40.5% and 40.3%, respectively. This reflects a huge shift away from Catholicism, and indeed religion in general, as the fundamental reference point for marriage ceremonies. In 1990, the equivalent figure for non-religious marriage ceremonies was just 4%.

Education Equality argue that the annual marriage figures act as a very clear barometer of religious belief and practice, given the freedom that couples now enjoy in deciding how to celebrate their wedding.

“These figures provide evidence of a changing population with respect to religious belief and practice,” Education Equality Communications Officer David Graham noted. "Religion is a choice, not an obligation. Couples can freely choose a non-religious wedding ceremony if they want, but they are denied that freedom when it comes to their children’s education. Our publicly funded education system imposes religion on families against their will, in breach of their human and constitutional rights."

Education Equality see the marriage figures as reflecting a genuine demand for freedom of choice in relation to education.

“The recent partial parent survey findings demonstrate the growing demand for change,” Graham added. "Every child should be able to attend their local school without regard to their religion or belief background. It is not the role of our education system to evangelize children. Religious instruction and sacramental preparation should be offered after school to those who want it, not imposed during the school day on those who don’t.

“Our current education system – where 95% of our taxpayer-funded schools operate a religious-integrated curriculum with no effective opt-out for children or teachers – is clearly not fit for purpose,” he concluded. "We need to take a more ambitious approach to the growing demand for change around the country.”

Education Equality is calling on the Government to compel schools to confine religious instruction and worship to a period at the end of the school day, outside core school hours, in order to uphold families’ human and constitutional rights to freedom of religion and belief.