The headline census figures
The 2021 census for England and Wales recorded 46.2 per cent of the population, about 27.5 million people, describing themselves as Christian. It was the first time the figure had fallen below half, down from 59.3 per cent in 2011 and 71.7 per cent in 2001. Over the same decade the share ticking "no religion" rose sharply to 37.2 per cent, making it the second largest response.
Scotland runs its own census, taken in 2022, and told a similar story: a majority reported no religion for the first time, with the Church of Scotland seeing the steepest decline among the historic denominations, though Roman Catholic identification held up rather better. Northern Ireland remains the most religious part of the UK. Its 2021 census showed a clear majority still identifying as Christian across the Catholic and Protestant communities, with Catholics outnumbering Protestants for the first time.
Identity is not the same as attendance
The census measures self-description, not practice. Someone may tick Christian out of family heritage or cultural attachment without ever attending a service, so weekly church attendance is far lower than the census figure. Across all denominations, the number of people in church on a typical Sunday in Britain runs into the low millions, a small fraction of the 27.5 million who identify as Christian on paper. The Church of England counts hundreds of thousands at its usual Sunday services, with notably higher figures at Christmas and Easter.
Where the church is growing
Decline is not the whole picture, and several parts of British church life are moving the other way:
- Black-majority and immigrant-led churches. Congregations with Caribbean and African roots have grown strongly for decades, especially in London, Birmingham and Manchester.
- Cathedrals. Attendance at cathedral services, particularly choral evensong, rose steadily in the years before the pandemic and has recovered strongly since.
- New churches and plants. Networks planting contemporary congregations in cities and towns continue to open new sites.
- Young adults. Recent surveys have surprised researchers by finding renewed openness to faith, and rising church attendance, among people in their late teens and twenties, with young men a striking part of the shift.
The denominational picture
The Church of England remains the largest single denomination in England, with roughly 16,000 church buildings, followed by the Roman Catholic Church, whose congregations have been bolstered by migration from Poland, and increasingly from India and Africa. The Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church, Baptists, the United Reformed Church, Pentecostals, Orthodox parishes and hundreds of independent fellowships make up the rest of a varied landscape. You can explore them all through our denominations index.
What this means if you are looking for a church
Whatever the national statistics say, there are still tens of thousands of active congregations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and this site lists around 39,000 of them. Wherever you live, several churches will be within reach. Start with find a church near me, or read our advice on how to choose a church if you are weighing up options.