Large national identity gap in the North

Significantly more people in Northern Ireland consider themselves British as opposed to Irish, answers to a census question have indicated.

Contrary to some traditional perceptions, the expression of national identity does not appear to correlate directly with religious breakdown, as the gap between the proportion of Catholics and Protestants in the region’s population has narrowed to just 3%.

According to the figures from the 2011 Census, the percentage of people who are either Catholic or brought up Catholic in Northern Ireland has risen to 45%, while the Protestant representation has continued to decline, falling to 48%.