Northern Ireland: 60% of entrants to higher education are Catholic and 60% are female and the workforce is also becoming increasingly female and Catholic

A report on Northern Ireland points out that the highest achievers in education are Catholic girls who do not qualify for free school meals, more than 74% of them obtain two A-levels. By contrast, just 11% of poorer Protestant boys who qualify for free school meals achieve two A-levels. The report sees the Catholic middle classes as the big winner from the peace process so far. Their income levels and educational qualifications are now higher than their Protestant counterparts and their numbers look like rising to eventually create a Catholic majority. Under the age of 35, the majority population is already Catholic.