Near Catholic-Protestant Balance Found in Ulster

BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Protestants in Northern Ireland, long thought to outnumber Catholics by a two-to-one margin, have in fact only a bare majority of less than 5%, census figures disclosed Friday.

Experts believe the findings offer the most accurate snapshot of Northern Ireland’s 1.5 million people since the political and sectarian conflict first erupted in 1969.

The latest census figures showed 38.4% recorded as Catholics and 42.8% as Protestant. The rest were made up of the Jewish, Chinese and Indian communities.