National Churches Survey: Northern Ireland

The National Churches Survey: Northern Ireland is the largest recent survey on church buildings and provides a detailed analysis of the state of these buildings in Northern Ireland today, as well as the challenges they face and the role they are playing in society. 

Using data from the National Churches Survey 2025, this report looks at churches in Northern Ireland, asking what challenges these buildings face, how they are supporting communities and what the future might hold. It shows that churches in Northern Ireland stand out across the United Kingdom for the frequency of worship, the depth of volunteer engagement and the confidence congregations have about their future.

Key findings

• 80% churches in Northern Ireland hold services at least weekly, and many hold them more than once per week.
• Churches in Northern Ireland report high levels of basic accessibility and facilities. Almost nine in ten (88%) have a fully accessible entrance, while over three quarters (77%) provide accessible toilets and around two-thirds (66%) have tea- and coffee-making facilities.
• Around two-thirds (66%) churches in Northern Ireland are open to the public beyond services and organised activities, while around one-third (32%) are open daily.
• 63% say having more volunteers would be one of the most helpful forms of practical support that their church could receive.
• More than nine in ten churches (92%) in Northern Ireland say that an active body of volunteers currently contributes to the successful management of their church buildings.
• Stained glass is identified in 72% of churches as having artistic merit.

Thank you to Northern Ireland’s Historic Environment Division within the Department for Communities, which made this report possible.