England, Wales not majority Christian nations, census reveals

For the first time, less than half of the population of England and Wales now consider themselves Christians, new government figures reveal. The plunging number of Christians follows a long downward trend across Europe, but the most recent census in Britain shows the steepest drop yet, alongside a parallel surge in the number of people telling census-takers they have “no religion.”

The new portrait of the population may have profound consequences in Britain, with the Church of England deeply entwined in government. The British monarch, now King Charles III, is “The Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England,” and 26 church bishops sit in parliament’s House of Lords. Tens of thousands of Anglican churches still dot the landscape. The government’s Office for National Statistics revealed Tuesday that 46% of the population in England and Wales (27.5 million people) described themselves as “Christian” in 2021, down from 59% (33.3 million people) in 2011. “No religion” was the second-most common response, increasing to 37% (22.2 million people) from 25% (14.1 million) in 2011. Numbers for Scotland will come later.