What is the UK population by religion?

In the 2021 Census, 46.2% of people in England and Wales described themselves as Christian, the first time a census found less than half. "No religion" was next at 37.2%, followed by Muslim (6.5%, 3.9 million people) and Hindu (1.7%), according to the ONS Religion, England and Wales: Census 2021.

In Wales, 46.5% reported no religion and 43.6% Christian. London was the most religiously diverse region. Scotland's 2022 census and Northern Ireland's 2021 census publish their own religion results.

The religion question is voluntary: 94.0% of residents answered it in 2021. It records affiliation, not belief or attendance. Projections of religious groups to 2050 or later are not ONS statistics.

Official sources: ONS: religion, Census 2021 · Scotland's Census

When is the next figure out?

The ONS pre-announces population and vital statistics releases on its release calendar and publishes at 9:30am or 7am. Births data for England and Wales come out in two stages each year: counts in the spring and final fertility rates in late summer or autumn. Mid-year estimates appear in the summer or autumn after the reference year, and marriage statistics about two years after the year they cover. NRS and NISRA publish quarterly vital events tables and their own annual reports.

Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.

Terms used in this answer

• Census
  A count of every person and household in a country on a set day, usually held every ten years. The UK census is run separately in each nation.

Where the figures come from

• UK population and vital statistics (ONS, National Records of Scotland and NISRA)
  Where to find official UK figures on births, fertility, baby names, marriage, divorce, households, population estimates, projections and the census.

Related questions

• What is the UK population by ethnicity?
• Where can I find UK census data?
• What is the UK fertility rate?

This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about population, births and families: all Population, births and families questions.