CATHOLICS UP ..BUT ONLY 1 IN 4 ARE 'IRISH': 2011 CENSUS: ULSTER TODAY Protestants fall from 53% to 48% since poll of 2001 People who say they are Northern Irish reaches 21% Almost 60% have a UK passport with 21% holding Irish one Numbers renting from a landlord increases by 128% [Ulster Region]

THE number of Catholics in Northern Ireland is growing - but just a quarter of the population considers themselves Irish, census figures revealed yesterday.

The latest survey of people's religion, language, ethnicity, health, work and much more found that 45% of people here are Catholic or were "brought up" as Catholics, compared to 48% who are Protestant.

Catholics have risen by 1% since the 2001 Census, whereas Protestants have fallen from 53%.

However, in a new question on national identity for the 2011 Census, 40% said they consider themselves British "only" compared to 25% who say thay are Irish "only".

People who said they are Northern Irish "only" totalled 21%. A number of people said they were combinations of the nationalities or "other".

The figures come in the wake of First Minister Peter Robinson making a pitch for Catholic voters saying the "assumption that every Catholic is a nationalist" is wrong.

Census experts yesterday said the older profile in the Protestant community...