Less Than Half of England and Wales Population Is Christian: Census Data

Crowds of shoppers are seen on Oxford Street in London on Dec. 2, 2020. Peter Summers/Getty Images

The number of people identifying as Christian in England and Wales has fallen below half of the population for the first time.

According to data released from the 2021 census, 46.2 percent of the population, or approximately 27.5 million people, describe themselves as Christian, a reduction of 13.1 percent since 2011 when the last census took place.

The survey also concluded that the number of people who said they did not have a religion rose from 25.2 to 37.2 percent, while those who identified as Muslim rose from 4.9 to 6.5 percent.

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said the data was “not a great surprise” and that, “We have left behind the era when many people almost automatically identified as Christian.” However, Cottrell said that it was time to look beyond the survey and note that Christians in England and Wales are part of a global faith, which he called the “largest movement on Earth” giving people hope for a peaceful future.

Regional Variations

London remains the most religiously diverse region within England. According to the survey, 25.3 percent of people in the capital reported being part of a religion other than Christian. Meanwhile, southwest England proved to be the least religiously diverse, with 3.2 percent selecting a religion other than Christianity.

In Wales, the data show that 47 percent of people say they are non-religious, an increase of 15 percent, outnumbering any other religion including Christianity. Historically, Wales has always had an independence of thought compared to England.

The 2021 survey made the broad question “what is your religion?” optional, leaving it open for possible misinterpretation or the question being missed out entirely. Professor Linda Woodhead, head of theology and religious studies at King’s College London told the BBC that ticking “no religion” could still indicate several beliefs. Woodhead said that that some people may be atheist, some might be agnostic, and some will be spiritual in general. Despite it being optional, the question was answered by 94 percent of the population of England and Wales, an increase of 1.1 percent from 2011.

The census also showed that the number of residents in England and Wales who identified has white fell 4.3 percent to 81.7 percent. The ethic group in second place was “Asian, Asian British, or Asian Welsh” with 9.3 percent, an increase of 1.8 percent.

Unsurprisingly English came top for the most common language spoken, with Polish in second place with 1.1 percent, and Romanian in third with 0.9 percent.

Census Deputy Director Jon Wroth-Smith said the data highlighted the UK’s increasingly multi-cultural society.