Beliefs, attitudes, and opinions
Religious belief
Data on religious beliefs is mainly from the European Social Survey (ESS) and the International Social Survey Program (ISSP). Note that breakdowns for groups other than Catholics (who are the vast majority) are not normally available. Data for Catholics, is published and updated on the research section of the website of Catholic Bishops Conference and to which readers may refer for more information.
Table: % Catholics by type of belief in God, ISSP survey 2008
Type of belief in God | % |
---|---|
I know God really exists and have no doubts about it | 45.8 |
While I have doubts, feel that I do believe in God | 24.5 |
I find myself believing in God some of the time, but not at others | 13.5 |
Don’t believe in a personal God, but I do believe in a Higher Power | 9.2 |
Don’t know whether there is a God, don’t believe there is a w ay to find out | 4.3 |
I don’t believe in God | 2.7 |
All | 100 |
Source: “ Practice and Belief among Catholics in the Republic of Ireland : A summary of data from the ESS Round 4(2009/10) and the ISSP III (2008/9)” by Eoin O’Mahony, Council for Research & Development (Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, 2011, data from figure 12, page 18).
Level of religious belief over time, 1981, 1990, 1999 , 2008
1981 | 1990 | 1999 | 2008 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belief | ||||
% | % | % | % | |
In God | 95 | 96 | 96 | 92 |
Life after death | 76 | 78 | 80 | 82 |
Heaven | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 |
Hell | 55 | 50 | 54 | 58 |
Sin | 86 | 84 | 86 | - |
21 September 2012Source : 1981 & 1990 from Hornsby-Smith and Whelan,‘Religious and Moral Values’ in C. T. Whelan (ed.) Values and Social Change in Ireland, Dublin: Gill and Macmillan, 1994, based on European Values Surveys (EVS); 1999 reproduced from Cassidy (ed), Measuring Ireland: Discerning Values and Beliefs, Dublin: Veritas, 2002, from the 1999 EVS; 2008 from ISSP on RC only in E O’Mahony “ Practice and Belief among Catholics in the Republic of Ireland’ 2011, table 10, p. 19.