Godless UK: A quarter have no religion

ONE in four people no longer believes in any religion, the official analysis of national census returns found yesterday.

It revealed Christianity is in decline and Christians are increasingly likely to be older or retired people.

Many young people, young men in particular, appear to be rejecting religious belief altogether. Nearly one in three under- 5s – 3 per cent – say they do not have a religion.

The rise of atheism gathered pace in the decade since 001, the census showed, a period when churches found themselves under pressure from equality laws and secular groups. At the same time the UK’s second-biggest religion, Islam, frequently found itself on the defensive because of the actions of extremist groups.

The 011 census showed the number of Christians fell by 4.1million to 33. million. Of these, only a third attend church outside of weddings, baptisms or funerals.

There was a 45 per cent rise over the same period in those who say they have no religion, to 14.1million in 001. While the decline of religion was at its fastest among young people, there has been ‘an increase in the reporting of no religion across all groups between 001 and 011’, the Office for National Statistics said.

More than nine out of 10 of those without religion are white and born in Britain, and they included the highest proportion of people who are in work of any group of believers or non-believers.

The city where religion is in the greatest decline is Norwich, where 4 .5 per cent of the population say they have no belief.