Less than half of residents identify as Christian
FEWER than half of residents in Coventry and Warwickshire now describe themselves as Christian as census data reveals the most godless neighbourhoods in the country.
A decade ago, 60.5% of the population of our area called themselves Christian.
But when Coventry and Warwickshire residents were asked the same question on the day of the 2021 census, just 48.0% referred to themselves in that way. Instead, there has been a big rise in the number of people who said they had “no religion”.
On the day of the 2021 census, 34.7% said they were not religious in any way, up from 23.7% a decade ago.
The Earlswood, Tanworth-in-Arden & Sambourne neighbourhood in Stratford-on-avon has the highest proportion of Christians in the region (64.1%), followed by Henley-in-arden & Claverdon in Stratford-on-avon (61.3%), and then Kingswood & Leek Wootton in Warwick (60.6%).
Meanwhile, residents of Camp Hill in Nuneaton and Bedworth are least likely to worship any god, with 47.3% saying they had no religion. That is followed by Warwick South West & Aylesford in Warwick (44.2%), and then Leamington West & Milverton in Warwick (43.0%).
The data also shows that 4.8% of the population of Coventry and Warwickshire identify as Muslim, 0.1% as Jewish, 3.1% as Sikh, 2.6% as Hindu, and 0.4% as Buddhist. Across all of England and Wales, 46.2% of the population described themselves as Christian, down from 59.3% a decade earlier, the ONS said.
This is the first time the proportion has dropped below half. At the same time, the proportion of people saying they had no religion jumped from around a quarter in 2011 (25.2%) to over a third in 2021 (37.2%).
The Archbishop of York said the census data showed the country had “left behind the era when many people almost automatically identified as Christian”.
The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell said: “The Christian church exists to share the good news of Jesus Christ, serve our neighbour and bring hope to a troubled world.
“That’s what we’ve done for 2,000 years, in times of war and peace; hardship and plenty; revival and decline and it’s what we must do now more than ever. It’s not a great surprise that the census shows fewer people in this country identifying as Christian than in the past, but it still throws down a challenge to us not only to trust that God will build his kingdom on Earth but also to play our part in making Christ known.
“We have left behind the era when many people almost automatically identified as Christian but other surveys consistently show how the same people still seek spiritual truth and wisdom and a set of values to live by.
“This winter - perhaps more so than for a long time - people right across the country, some in desperate need, will be turning to their local church, not only for spiritual hope but practical help. We will be there for them, in many cases, providing food and warmth. And at Christmas millions of people will still come to our services.”
The latest census data shows that Croxteth East in Liverpool is the most Christian neighbourhood in the country.
Three-quarters of people in Croxteth East (75.6%) described themselves as Christian, more than any other neighbourhood in England and Wales. But Merseyside features heavily among the neighbourhoods with the highest concentration of Christians. In fact, nine of the top 10 areas and 22 of the top 30 areas are in Merseyside.
Conversely, Hanover in Brighton and Hove was the most godless area in England and Wales, with 68.1% of the population saying they had no religion. But there were also increases in the proportion of people describing themselves as Muslim (up from 4.9% to 6.5%) and as Hindu (from 1.5% to 1.7%). The religion question was voluntary on the 2021 census but was answered by 94.0% of the overall population of England and Wales, up from 92.9% in 2011.