Census figures outlining the non secular make-up and sense of nationwide identification of individuals in Northern Eire can be revealed later.
Long-term demographic tendencies recommend Census 2021 may very well be the primary within the historical past of the area to document extra Catholics than Protestants throughout the inhabitants.
The 2011 Census recorded 48% of the inhabitants as being both Protestant or introduced up Protestant, down 5 share factors on 2001. The Catholic inhabitants stood at 45% within the final census, up one share level on 2001.
The publication of the census historically prompts debate over what the figures could imply for the constitutional way forward for Northern Eire.
Some could search to attract a direct hyperlink between the non secular breakdown and public opinion on the potential reunification of Eire.
Nevertheless, critics of that method view non secular affiliation as a crude metric to measure sentiment on the constitutional query, insisting that simply because somebody is Protestant or Catholic doesn't essentially imply their respective political outlooks are unionist or nationalist.
In that respect, extra emphasis could also be positioned on the census figures on nationwide identification.
That query was included within the census for the primary time in 2011, when 40% mentioned that they had a British solely nationwide identification, 25% mentioned that they had an Irish solely identification and 21% seen their identification as being solely Northern Irish.
Underneath the phrases of the 1998 Good Friday Settlement peace deal, the constitutional standing of Northern Eire may be modified solely with the consent of its inhabitants.
The incumbent Northern Eire Secretary is obliged to name a referendum on Irish unity if she or he believes there was a shift in public opinion that will point out a majority in favour of constitutional change.
Nevertheless, the 1998 peace accord supplied no element on what metrics or standards needs to be relied upon to make this judgement name.
The figures on faith and nationwide identification are a part of the second spherical of knowledge being revealed from Census 2021.
The primary tranche of figures, revealed in Could, associated to inhabitants and family numbers.
It confirmed that Northern Eire’s inhabitants had risen to a document excessive of greater than 1.9 million.
The second launch of figures may also embrace knowledge on ethnicity, passports held, languages spoken and a spread of different demographic statistics.
Census 2021 was carried out on March 21 2021.