The number of people who say they have no religion has risen.
For the first time fewer than half of people in England and Wales describe themselves as Christian, the Census 2021 has revealed.
Ticking "no religion" does not mean having no beliefs, says Prof Linda Woodhead, from King's College London. The number of people identifying as Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African was 2.5% of the population, up from 1.8%, taking the figure from 990,000 to 1.5 million. With its very simple optional question, "What is your religion?", the census does not illustrate the range of 22.2 million people in the "no religion" category; from those who do not believe in god at all to those who do in some form, or believe in the power of prayer and an afterlife or are spiritual in some way.
And south-west England is shown to be the least religiously diverse region, with 3.2% selecting a religion other than Christian.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Less than half of England and Wales population Christian, Census 2021 showsThe 2021 census for England and Wales also shows an increase in the number of people with no religion.
Read more »
Christianity in the UK is in decline but its influence is not – and that's a real problemChristianity in the UK is in decline but its influence is not – and that's a real problem ✍️ KatieBEdwards for ipaperviews
Read more »
Thousands converting to shamanism across England and Wales, census revealsThe niche religion has seen its number increase by more than ten-fold over the last decade.
Read more »
Census 2021: Data shows number of Christians in UK fall below half for first timeThere has been a large fall in the number of people who consider themselves as Christian, dropping below half the UK population for the first time.
Read more »
England manager Gareth Southgate makes Yorkshire claim ahead of Wales v England clashGareth Southgate has said he understands the passion behind Wales’ rivalry with England – because he lives in Yorkshire and the county feels the same.
Read more »
Census 2021: Data shows number of Christians in England and Wales falls below half for first timeArchbishop of York says the figures reflect that people don't 'automatically' identify as Christian, while secular groups say it proves 'we are no longer a Christian country'.
Read more »