Empty pews as membership of Kirk falls by half in 15 years

‘Scots are more socially liberal’

THE number of people pledging allegiance to the Church of Scotland has nearly halved in only 15 years, researchers said yesterday.

Fewer than one in five say they belong to the Kirk after its following dropped from 33 per cent to 18 per cent of the population between 2002 and 2017.

The decline is particularly pronounced among the younger generation, with only 4 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds now part of the church.

Experts said that the drop in membership was part of an ‘overall decline in religious identity in Scotland’ fuelled by ‘socially liberal’ attitudes towards issues such as gay marriage.

The figures, published in the British Social Attitudes Survey, show that 56 per cent of Scots say they have no reli- gion. Three quarters of 18 to 34-yearolds are not members of any faith.

In 2002, 24 per cent of those aged 35 to 54 said they belonged to the Church of Scotland. The figure is now 13 per cent.

A third of those aged 55 and over said they are members of the Kirk, down from 50 per cent in 2002.

Ian Montagu, of the Scottish Centre for Social Research, said: ‘As attitudes in Scotland become more socially liberal on issues like same-sex relationships and abortion, church leaders will no doubt be considering how to better connect to a changing society. It will be interesting to see what impact liberalising measures, such as the Church of Scotland’s efforts to allow ministers to conduct same-sex marriages, have upon these numbers in the future.’

A Church of Scotland spokesman said: ‘Whether we are many or we are few, the church will always seek to be a force for good in society.’