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Religious landscape

Religious composition

Religious composition 2010 2015 Anglican (including the Church of England) 22% 17.0% Roman Catholic 9.1% 8.7% Presbyterian (including the Church of Scotland) 2.2% 1.7% Other Christian 11.2%

Religious composition	2010	2015
Anglican (including the Church of England)	22%	17.0%
Roman Catholic	9.1%	8.7%
Presbyterian (including the Church of Scotland)	2.2%	1.7%
Other Christian	11.2%	15.3%
Muslim	3.1%	3.9%
Hindu	1.2%	2.0%
Sikh	0.3%	0.9%
Jewish	0.6%	0.3%
Buddhist	0.4%	0.6%
Other	0.5%	0.7%
No religion	49.9%	48.5%

Percentages of population estimated from British Social Attitudes survey 2010 and 2015.

D 8 February 2017 ADavid Voas AIngrid Storm

Established churches

The constituent countries of the United Kingdom are quite distinct in religious heritage. England and Scotland have different national churches; Wales and Northern Ireland have none. (...)

The constituent countries of the United Kingdom are quite distinct in religious heritage. England and Scotland have different national churches; Wales and Northern Ireland have none. Non-Christian religious minorities are much larger in England than elsewhere. Most of Great Britain is now very secular; Northern Ireland remains much more religious.

In England the Church of England is the ’established’ (or official) church, and is the largest Christian denomination. It has baptized half the population of England, though that proportion is declining. The Anglican churches in the other parts of the UK account for only a minority of the Christian population. Thus both the Church in Wales and the Scottish Episcopal Church account for only around 3 percent of the populations in their respective countries, while those identifying with the Church of Ireland make up 15 percent of the population in Northern Ireland.

In Scotland the (presbyterian) Church of Scotland is the national church and the largest religious group, with 18 percent of the population (27 percent in 2010).

updated by Ingrid Storm

D 8 February 2017 ADavid Voas

Non-Christian groups

In recent years the population of England has become increasingly diverse in religious identity. Although the heritage is predominantly Christian, there are substantial numbers of Muslims (3.9 (...)

In recent years the population of England has become increasingly diverse in religious identity. Although the heritage is predominantly Christian, there are substantial numbers of Muslims (3.9 percent, 3.1 percent in 2010), Hindus (2 percent, 1.2 percent in 2010), Sikhs (0.9 percent, 0.3 percent in 2010), Jews (0.6 percent as in 2010) and Buddhists (0.3 percent, 0.4 percent in 2010).

In Scotland and Wales Muslims constitute the largest non-Christian group, but at only 1.3 percent (1 percent in 2010) of the population, their relative frequency is considerably lower than in England. Likewise the non-Christian groups are much smaller in Northern Ireland than in England.

updated by Ingrid Storm

D 8 February 2017 ADavid Voas