Islam to be Ireland's Second Religion by 2043

Based on birth rate and immigration alone, the population of Muslims in Ireland is expected to rise from 49,000 to 100,000 by 2020. 

As construction work begins on Ireland’s biggest mosque in the capital Dublin, statistics have shown that Islam will become Ireland’s second biggest religion after Catholicism by the year 2043.

The Central Statistics Office confirmed that Islam is currently the fastest growing religion in Ireland, noting a 10-fold increase between 1991 and 2011 in which the Muslim population increased from 0.1% to 1.1% of the overall population.

Not including conversions to the religion, the census claimed that just based on birth rate and immigration alone, the population of Muslims in Ireland will rise from 49,000 to 100,000 by 2020.

Meanwhile, the census showed a dramatic decrease in adherents to Catholicism, down to 84% from 91% in 1991.

Currently Orthodox Christianity is the second largest faith group due to immigration from former Soviet countries, but Islam is expected to surpass this.