At the Census of 21 March 2021, 27.5 million people in England and Wales (46.2 percent) described their religion as Christian, the first census in which fewer than half did so. 22.2 million (37.2 percent) reported no religion, 3.9 million (6.5 percent) were Muslim and about 1.0 million (1.7 percent) were Hindu. Ten years earlier, in 2011, the Christian share was 59.3 percent and the no religion share 25.2 percent. The census is the most recent full count; the UK government has commissioned the next one for 2031.
Christians fell below half of the population for the first time
The religion question has been part of the census in England and Wales since 2001, and answering it is voluntary. In 2021, 94.0 percent of usual residents (56.0 million people) answered it, up from 92.9 percent (52.1 million) in 2011. The ONS calculates every share on this page against the whole population of 59.6 million, so the 6.0 percent who did not answer form their own category rather than being removed from the base.
Christian remained the most common answer, given by 27.5 million people or 46.2 percent of residents. It was followed by no religion, chosen by 22.2 million people or 37.2 percent. Together these two answers covered 83.4 percent of the population. Muslims were the third largest group at 3.9 million (6.5 percent), followed by Hindus at about 1.0 million (1.7 percent). Sikhs (524,140 people), people of other religions (348,334), Buddhists (272,508) and Jewish people (about 271,300) each made up less than 1 percent.
Two answers dominate: Christian and no religion together account for 83.4 percent of residents, while all other religions combined account for about 10.7 percent.
| Religion | 2011 people | 2011 share | 2021 people | 2021 share | Change in share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian | 33.3 million | 59.3% | 27.5 million | 46.2% | -13.1 points |
| No religion | 14.1 million | 25.2% | 22.2 million | 37.2% | +12.0 points |
| Muslim | 2.7 million | 4.9% | 3.9 million | 6.5% | +1.6 points |
| Hindu | 818,000 | 1.5% | about 1.0 million | 1.7% | +0.2 points |
| Sikh | 423,000 | 0.8% | 524,140 | 0.9% | +0.1 points |
| Other religion | 240,000 | 0.4% | 348,334 | 0.6% | +0.2 points |
| Buddhist | 248,000 | 0.4% | 272,508 | 0.5% | +0.1 points |
| Jewish | 263,000 | 0.5% | about 271,300 | 0.5% | no change |
| Not answered | 4.0 million | 7.1% | 3.6 million | 6.0% | -1.1 points |
| All usual residents | 56.1 million | 100% | 59.6 million | 100% |
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The 2011 figures for Christian, no religion, Muslim, Hindu and not answered are the comparison values quoted in the 2021 ONS bulletin. The original 2011 release reported slightly different rounding for some groups (for example 25.1 percent no religion and 4.8 percent Muslim). The 2011 Sikh, other religion, Buddhist and Jewish counts are from the ONS 2011 release. The 2021 Jewish count is the sum of the two ONS Jewish identity groups that answered the religion question (219,160 and 52,165). Changes in share are BusinessStats calculations from the rounded shares.
From 71.7 percent Christian in 2001 to 46.2 percent in 2021
The 2021 result continues a trend that began with the first religion question in 2001. In that year 71.7 percent of residents (37.3 million people) described themselves as Christian and 14.8 percent (7.7 million) reported no religion. By 2011 the Christian share had fallen to 59.3 percent and the no religion share had risen to about a quarter. Between 2011 and 2021 the Christian share fell by a further 13.1 percentage points while the no religion share rose by 12.0 points.
In absolute numbers the Christian population fell from 37.3 million in 2001 to 33.3 million in 2011 and 27.5 million in 2021, even though the total population grew from 56.1 million to 59.6 million in the last decade alone. Over the same twenty years the number reporting no religion almost tripled, from 7.7 million to 22.2 million. The Muslim share roughly doubled, from 3.0 percent in 2001 to 6.5 percent in 2021.
The lines are converging: the gap between Christian and no religion shrank from 56.9 points in 2001 to 9.0 points in 2021.
Only two groups shrank as a share: Christian and not answered. Every other group grew, but none moved by more than 1.6 points except no religion.
Christians: 27.5 million people and an older age profile
The census uses one tick box for all Christian denominations, so it does not split Church of England, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Orthodox or Pentecostal members. The number ticking it fell from 33.3 million in 2011 to 27.5 million in 2021. The share fell in every local authority in Wales, and the ONS reports that Wales also had the largest decreases anywhere: Blaenau Gwent fell from 49.9 to 36.5 percent and Caerphilly from 50.7 to 36.4 percent.
The highest Christian shares in 2021 were in the North West of England. Knowsley led with 66.6 percent, followed by Ribble Valley (66.4 percent) and Copeland in Cumbria (65.1 percent). Even Knowsley saw a large drop, from 80.9 percent in 2011, a fall of 14.3 points. In Wales the highest Christian shares were in the Isle of Anglesey and Flintshire, both 51.5 percent.
The Christian population is now markedly older than the rest of the country. Its median age rose from 45 in 2011 to 51 in 2021, the oldest of any tick-box group. Of the 27.5 million Christians, 29.0 percent (about 8.0 million) were aged 65 or over, up from 22.3 percent in 2011. Among people aged 21 to 25, the number of Christians fell from 1.7 million to 1.1 million. Census affiliation is also different from churchgoing: for actual attendance see our analysis of Church of England attendance by age and attendance by type of service.
No religion grew by about 8 million people in ten years
The no religion group was the fastest growing answer between 2011 and 2021, rising from 14.1 million to 22.2 million people. It includes people who wrote in a non-religious identity: the ONS counted 32,000 who wrote Agnostic, 14,000 Atheist and 10,000 Humanist, all classified under no religion. Most people in the group simply ticked the No religion box.
The group is young. Only 8.8 percent of people with no religion were aged 65 or over in 2021, and their median age was 32, eight years below the national median of 40. It is also the only large group with more men than women: 52.9 percent (11.7 million) were male. In Wales no religion overtook Christian as the most common answer, with 46.5 percent against 43.6 percent. The highest local shares were all in the South Wales valleys: Caerphilly (56.7 percent), Blaenau Gwent (56.4 percent) and Rhondda Cynon Taf (56.2 percent). In England, Brighton and Hove had the highest share at 55.2 percent.
The same direction shows up across the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe. Scotland, which runs its own census, recorded 51.1 percent with no religion in 2022, up from 36.7 percent in 2011. For comparisons with other European countries see our overview of religion in Europe and the national pages on religion in the Netherlands and non-religious people in Spain. Survey questions on personal belief, which differ from census affiliation, are covered in belief in God in the UK.
- It records religious affiliation or identity in one word, not belief, practice or membership of a congregation.
- The question is voluntary. In 2021, 6.0 percent of residents did not answer, down from 7.1 percent in 2011.
- The census counts people of all ages, while most surveys cover adults only, so census and survey shares are not directly comparable.
- Write-in answers are coded into 58 detailed groups; for example Agnostic, Atheist and Humanist are counted under no religion.
- Northern Ireland and Scotland run separate censuses, so these figures cover England and Wales only.
Muslims: 3.9 million people and the youngest median age
The Muslim population rose from 2.7 million (4.9 percent) in 2011 to 3.9 million (6.5 percent) in 2021, making Islam the second most common religion and the third most common answer overall. The group is the youngest of the tick-box religions, with a median age of 27 in 2021, up from 25 in 2011. Of the 3.9 million Muslims, 84.5 percent were under 50, compared with 62.0 percent of the whole population.
Muslims are concentrated in a small number of urban areas. Tower Hamlets in east London had the highest share in England and Wales at 39.9 percent, followed by Blackburn with Darwen (35.0 percent) and Newham (34.8 percent). At regional level, 15.0 percent of London residents were Muslim in 2021, up from 12.6 percent in 2011. In Wales the highest share was in Cardiff at 9.3 percent. For the global picture see the ranking of countries with the largest Muslim populations.
Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jewish people and smaller religions
About 1.0 million people (1.7 percent) identified as Hindu in 2021, up from 818,000 in 2011. Harrow in north west London had the highest share at 25.8 percent, and Leicester the second highest at 17.9 percent, up from 15.2 percent in 2011. Hindus are younger than average: 20.3 percent were under 16 and 11.3 percent were 65 or over.
There were 524,140 Sikhs, up from 423,000 in 2011. The largest shares and the largest increases were in the West Midlands: Wolverhampton (12.0 percent, up from 9.1 percent) and Sandwell (11.5 percent, up from 8.7 percent). The Sikh group had the most even split between women and men of any group, 49.9 percent female and 50.1 percent male.
Buddhists numbered 272,508, up from 248,000, and for the first time in the three censuses the group was slightly larger than the Jewish population. Rushmoor in Hampshire, which includes Aldershot, had the highest Buddhist share at 4.7 percent. The Buddhist group is mostly of working age (77.4 percent aged 16 to 64) and 55.7 percent female. The Jewish population was about 271,300, up from 263,000. The highest shares were in Hertsmere (17.0 percent) and Barnet (14.5 percent), both on the northern edge of London.
People who ticked Any other religion and wrote in their faith numbered 348,334 after coding. The largest write-in groups were Pagan (74,000), Alevi (26,000), Jain (25,000), Wicca (13,000), Ravidassia (10,000) and Shamanism (8,000, up from 650 in 2011). Enfield in north London had the highest share of other religions at 3.1 percent, up from 0.6 percent in 2011, the largest increase of any area. The ONS detailed classification now covers 58 religious groups.
| Group | People, 2021 | People, 2011 | Highest local share, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hindu | about 1.0 million | 818,000 | Harrow 25.8% |
| Sikh | 524,140 | 423,000 | Wolverhampton 12.0% |
| Other religion | 348,334 | 240,000 | Enfield 3.1% |
| Buddhist | 272,508 | 248,000 | Rushmoor 4.7% |
| Jewish | about 271,300 | 263,000 | Hertsmere 17.0% |
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Counts from ONS releases for Census 2021 and Census 2011. ONS rounds counts in some articles to the nearest 5.
Wales has more people with no religion than Christians
England and Wales are published together, but the two countries differ. England, with 56.5 million residents, closely mirrors the combined total: 46.3 percent Christian, 36.7 percent no religion and 6.7 percent Muslim. Wales, with 3.1 million residents, is less religiously diverse and less religious. In 2021, 46.5 percent of people in Wales reported no religion (about 1.4 million), compared with 43.6 percent Christian (also about 1.4 million). Wales is the only one of the two countries where no religion is the largest answer.
The change in Wales was also faster. The Christian share there fell by 14.0 points from 57.6 percent in 2011, while the no religion share rose from 32.1 percent to 46.5 percent, an increase the ONS puts at 14.5 points using unrounded figures. Muslims made up 2.2 percent of the Welsh population (about 67,000 people), up from 1.5 percent, with Hindus at 0.4 percent and Buddhists at 0.3 percent.
The crossover happened in Wales first: no religion moved from 32.1 to 46.5 percent and passed the Christian share, which fell to 43.6 percent.
| Religion | England | Wales | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian | 46.3% | 43.6% | 46.2% |
| No religion | 36.7% | 46.5% | 37.2% |
| Muslim | 6.7% | 2.2% | 6.5% |
| Hindu | 1.8% | 0.4% | 1.7% |
| Sikh | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.9% |
| Buddhist | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Jewish | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Other religion | 0.6% | not published | 0.6% |
| Not answered | 6.0% | 6.3% | 6.0% |
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England values from the ONS Census 2021 area changes tool; Wales values from the Welsh Government Census 2021 bulletin, which reports write-in groups such as Pagan (0.2 percent) separately rather than a single other religion total.
The North West is the most Christian region and London the most diverse
Across the nine English regions and Wales, the Christian share in 2021 ranged from 52.5 percent in the North West to 40.7 percent in London. The North West and the North East (50.8 percent) were the only regions where Christians were still a majority. The no religion share ranged from 46.5 percent in Wales and 44.1 percent in the South West down to 27.1 percent in London, where Muslims made up 15.0 percent of residents.
London remains the most religiously diverse region. Over a quarter of Londoners (25.3 percent, 2.2 million people) identified with a religion other than Christian, up from 22.6 percent in 2011. At the other end, only 4.2 percent of people in the North East and 3.2 percent in the South West reported a religion other than Christian. The West Midlands (9.6 percent) and Yorkshire and The Humber (8.1 percent) had the next highest Muslim shares after London. Regional population totals are covered in our UK population statistics.
A north and south split: Christian shares are highest in the North West and North East, while no religion is highest in Wales, the South West, the South East and the East of England.
| Region | Christian | No religion | Muslim | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 50.8% | 40.0% | 2.7% | 2.65 million |
| North West | 52.5% | 32.6% | 7.6% | 7.42 million |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 44.9% | 39.4% | 8.1% | 5.48 million |
| East Midlands | 45.4% | 40.0% | 4.3% | 4.88 million |
| West Midlands | 46.6% | 32.9% | 9.6% | 5.95 million |
| East of England | 46.6% | 40.2% | 3.7% | 6.34 million |
| London | 40.7% | 27.1% | 15.0% | 8.80 million |
| South East | 46.5% | 40.2% | 3.3% | 9.28 million |
| South West | 46.2% | 44.1% | 1.4% | 5.70 million |
| Wales | 43.6% | 46.5% | 2.2% | 3.11 million |
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BusinessStats calculations from ONS Census 2021 counts for each region; East of England from the ONS area changes tool; Wales from the Welsh Government bulletin.
Where each religion has its highest share
Local authority data show how concentrated the smaller religions are. The 2021 census found the highest Muslim share in Tower Hamlets (39.9 percent), the highest Hindu share in Harrow (25.8 percent), the highest Jewish share in Hertsmere (17.0 percent) and the highest Sikh share in Wolverhampton (12.0 percent). By contrast, the most Christian area, Knowsley, was 66.6 percent Christian and the area with the most people reporting no religion, Caerphilly, stood at 56.7 percent.
Highly concentrated minorities: the Muslim share in Tower Hamlets is six times the national average, and the Jewish share in Hertsmere is more than 30 times the national average.
| Religion | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian | Knowsley 66.6% | Ribble Valley 66.4% | Copeland 65.1% |
| No religion | Caerphilly 56.7% | Blaenau Gwent 56.4% | Rhondda Cynon Taf 56.2% |
| Muslim | Tower Hamlets 39.9% | Blackburn with Darwen 35.0% | Newham 34.8% |
| Hindu | Harrow 25.8% | Leicester 17.9% | not stated |
| Sikh | Wolverhampton 12.0% | Sandwell 11.5% | not stated |
| Jewish | Hertsmere 17.0% | Barnet 14.5% | not stated |
| Buddhist | Rushmoor 4.7% | not stated | not stated |
| Other religion | Enfield 3.1% | not stated | not stated |
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Only the areas named in the ONS bulletin are listed. In England alone, Brighton and Hove had the highest no religion share (55.2 percent).
A 24-year gap between the oldest and youngest groups
Religion in England and Wales is closely linked to age. The ONS analysis of religion by age and sex, published on 30 January 2023, found that the gap between the median age of Christians (51) and of Muslims (27) widened from 20 years in 2011 to 24 years in 2021. People reporting no religion had a median age of 32. The median for people who did not answer fell from 40 to 37, the only group where it decreased.
Christians are the oldest group: their median age rose six years in a decade, while the Muslim median rose two years.
The share of each group aged 65 and over shows the same pattern. Almost three in ten Christians (29.0 percent) were 65 or over in 2021, against 18.6 percent of all residents and only 8.8 percent of people with no religion. Sikhs (12.2 percent), people of other religions (11.8 percent) and Hindus (11.3 percent) also had smaller older populations than average. Among Sikhs the share aged 65 and over rose by 3.0 points from 8.3 percent in 2011.
Older Christians, younger non-religious: the share aged 65 and over is more than three times higher among Christians than among people with no religion.
Children push the other way. Over a fifth of Sikhs (20.5 percent) and Hindus (20.3 percent) were under 16, above the national figure of 18.5 percent, and the ONS found that a third of Muslims in England (33 percent) were under 16 at the 2011 census.
One in five multi-person households has no religion at all
Census 2021 was the first to publish how religion is shared within households. Of the 17.3 million households with more than one person (69.8 percent of occupied households), about a third had every member who answered giving the same religion. In one in five, every member reported no religion, and in 13.7 percent the household mixed one religion with no religion. Households containing two or more different religions were rare at 1.1 percent.
| Household type | Households | Share of multi-person households |
|---|---|---|
| All members who answered gave the same religion | 8.1 million | 32.7% |
| All members reported no religion | 5.1 million | 20.4% |
| Mix of one religion and no religion | 3.4 million | 13.7% |
| No member answered | 460,000 | 1.9% |
| At least two different religions | 285,000 | 1.1% |
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Source: ONS, Religion, England and Wales: Census 2021. The categories shown do not cover every household combination, so they do not add to 100 percent.
Survey data since 2021 show a plateau rather than a further fall
The next census is not due until 2031, so later trends come from surveys. The longest running is the British Social Attitudes survey run by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), which asks adults in Britain, including Scotland, which religion they regard themselves as belonging to. The question and the population differ from the census, so the levels are not comparable: the survey finds about half of adults with no religion, well above the census share, and it covers adults only, includes Scotland and asks a differently worded question.
What the survey adds is the recent direction. In NatCen analysis published on 22 December 2025, the share of adults with no religion was 52 percent in 2017 and 2018, 53 percent in 2019, and 49 to 50 percent every year from 2020 to 2024. The combined Christian share was 40 percent in both 2017 and 2024. Identification with the Church of England fell from 14 to 11 percent over the same period. Attendance has not risen either: 9 percent of adults attended a religious service at least weekly in 2024, against 11 percent in 2017.
Flat since 2020: after a dip in 2020, the no religion share has stayed between 49 and 50 percent and the Christian share between 40 and 43 percent.
Methodology and data notes
All census figures on this page come from Census 2021 outputs published by the Office for National Statistics between November 2022 and December 2023, plus the Welsh Government bulletin for Wales and the ONS 2011 Census religion release. Census Day was 21 March 2021 and the figures describe usual residents of all ages. The 2001 values are the ONS comparison figures quoted in the 2021 and 2011 bulletins.
- Shares are of all usual residents, including the 6.0 percent who did not answer. Excluding non-response would raise every share, for example Christian to about 49 percent of those who answered.
- Regional shares for eight English regions are BusinessStats calculations from ONS Census 2021 counts (table TS030). The East of England comes from the ONS area changes tool and Wales from the Welsh Government.
- The 2011 comparison values in the 2021 ONS bulletin differ by 0.1 points from the original 2011 release for some groups. This page uses the 2021 bulletin values wherever ONS publishes them.
- British Social Attitudes results cover adults in Britain and use a different question, so they show direction only and are not added to census totals.
- This edition replaces an earlier version that projected 2026 shares from the census trend. No official body publishes a 2026 religion count for England and Wales, so projected values have been removed.
For the global context, including how England and Wales compare with the world average, see our page on world religions by number of followers. Similar census-based breakdowns for other countries are available for France, Poland and Finland.
Religion in England and Wales in eight numbers
Questions about religion in England and Wales
Christianity. At the 2021 census, 27.5 million people (46.2 percent) described themselves as Christian. It was the first census in which fewer than half of residents did so; the share was 59.3 percent in 2011 and 71.7 percent in 2001.
In Census 2021, 37.2 percent, or 22.2 million people, reported no religion, up from 25.2 percent (14.1 million) in 2011 and 14.8 percent in 2001. In Wales alone the share was 46.5 percent.
About 3.9 million people, or 6.5 percent of residents, identified as Muslim in Census 2021, up from 2.7 million (4.9 percent) in 2011. Tower Hamlets had the highest share at 39.9 percent.
No. In 2021, 46.5 percent of people in Wales reported no religion and 43.6 percent were Christian, while England was 36.7 percent no religion and 46.3 percent Christian. Wales is also less religiously diverse, with Muslims at 2.2 percent against 6.7 percent in England.
Measured by the share reporting no religion, the lowest region is London at 27.1 percent. Knowsley in Merseyside had the highest Christian share of any local authority at 66.6 percent, while Tower Hamlets had the highest Muslim share at 39.9 percent.
Census 2021 counted about 1.0 million Hindus (1.7 percent), 524,140 Sikhs (0.9 percent), 272,508 Buddhists and about 271,300 Jewish people (each 0.5 percent). Another 348,334 people reported other religions.
No. Answering the religion question is voluntary. In 2021, 94.0 percent of residents answered it and 6.0 percent did not, compared with 7.1 percent who did not answer in 2011.
The next census is planned for 2031. Until then, surveys such as British Social Attitudes give the direction of change. Its 2024 results put adults with no religion in Britain at 49 percent and Christians at 40 percent, both little changed since 2020.
Office for National Statistics: Religion, England and Wales: Census 2021, 29 November 2022 (national, regional and local authority results, write-in groups, households, 2001 and 2011 comparisons).
Office for National Statistics: Religion by age and sex, England and Wales: Census 2021, 30 January 2023 (median ages, age and sex profiles, Sikh, Buddhist and other religion counts).
Office for National Statistics: Jewish identity, England and Wales: Census 2021, 18 December 2023.
Office for National Statistics: Census 2021 dataset TS030, Religion, by country, region and local authority.
Office for National Statistics: Census 2021 area changes tool, religion in England and the East of England, 2011 and 2021.
Office for National Statistics: Population and household estimates, England and Wales: Census 2021, unrounded data, 2 November 2022.
Office for National Statistics: Religion in England and Wales 2011, 11 December 2012.
Welsh Government: Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion in Wales (Census 2021), 29 November 2022.
National Records of Scotland: Scotland Census 2022: ethnic group, national identity, language and religion, 21 May 2024.
Office for National Statistics: Exploring religion in England and Wales, 26 February 2020 (2011 age profiles).
UK Statistics Authority: Government commissions ONS to deliver a census of England and Wales in 2031.
NatCen Social Research: Is there a religious revival in Britain?, British Social Attitudes 2017 to 2024, 22 December 2025.