Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
How has the percentage of people identifying as Christian in the UK changed over the last 50 years?
Executive summary
Self‑identification as Christian in the UK has fallen markedly over recent decades: surveys and the 2021 census show a drop from majorities in the late 20th century to under half of the population by 2021 (for England and Wales Christianity was 46.2% in 2021) [1] [2]. Long‑running survey series such as British Social Attitudes (since 1983) and NatCen charts show a steady decline driven largely by younger cohorts saying “no religion” and by cohort replacement, even while migration has added millions of Christians in the 21st century [3] [4] [2].
1. A long downward arc: headline figures and the census turning point
National data and summaries report that Christianity’s share has fallen from clear majorities in earlier decades to less than half in recent counts: the 2021 England & Wales census recorded Christianity at 46.2% [1], and Manchester University notes a fall from 37.3 million (72%) in 2001 to 26.2 million (46%) in 2021 in England [2]. Other compilations and commentaries summarise the same broad shift over the last 20–40 years [5] [6].
2. What the survey trend lines show: steady decline since the 1980s
Repeated social surveys track religious identity back to the early 1980s and show a continuous fall in people saying they are Christian. NatCen/Statista charts collate British Social Attitudes waves from 1983–2018 and show the Christian share shrinking steadily over that period [4]. Analysts at BRIN similarly point to an ongoing decline in affiliation as measured by the BSA series [3].
3. Why demographers say identity has fallen: cohort replacement, not sudden conversion
Researchers emphasise cohort replacement as the main mechanism: older generations who identified as Christian are dying and being replaced in the population by younger cohorts who are more likely to say “no religion.” BRIN’s analysis states the decline in BSA affiliation is “wholly explained by cohort replacement,” a structural demographic process [3]. Counting Religion outputs echo that the Christian share is being squeezed from both ageing and younger cohorts choosing no religion [7].
4. Migration complicates the picture: more Christians numerically, but not enough to stop the percentage fall
Migration has added substantial numbers of Christians to the UK in the 21st century—Manchester’s report cites about 1.2 million Christian migrants 2001–2011 and 1.9 million 2011–2021—yet this increase in absolute numbers did not prevent the Christian proportion from falling because of larger changes in the UK‑born population and differential fertility/age structures [2]. Lausanne and related analyses also note growth in immigrant Orthodox and Pentecostal communities even as traditional denominations shrink [5] [8].
5. Institutional measures vs. self‑identity: attendance and membership fall faster
Estimates of church membership and attendance show larger falls than simple self‑identification. Church membership and Sunday attendance have declined markedly—Brierley and allied summaries report sharp falls in Church of England membership and usual Sunday attendance over recent decades—so cultural identification (tick box “Christian”) often outpaces active participation [9] [5] [10].
6. Different Christian traditions have diverging trajectories
Analysts highlight that the decline is uneven across denominations: Anglicans have seen marked falls in electoral rolls and attendance, while Catholic numbers have been relatively steadier and Orthodox and immigrant churches have grown—Russian and Romanian Orthodox communities are cited as examples of rapid growth tied to migration [5] [8]. Parliamentary research briefs and denominational statistics show these shifting internal balances [6].
7. How to interpret “over the last 50 years”: data limits and different measures
Fifty‑year comparisons require care: consistent national questions on religion were not always asked, and measures differ—census self‑identification, church membership rolls, and survey affiliation are related but distinct. Sources caution about different definitions (membership vs worship vs identity) and note that some long‑term summaries project continued decline but with uncertainty [9] [10].
8. What commentators disagree about and what’s not in the sources
Researchers broadly agree the Christian share has declined; they disagree on causes’ weight—cohort replacement vs active switching—and on whether migration will stabilise the share long term [3] [7] [2]. Available sources do not mention precise 50‑year annual series for the whole UK aggregated in one single table; NatCen/BSA cover many years for surveys but census coverage is intermittent and England/Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland breakdowns are documented separately [4] [1].
9. Bottom line for the questioner
Using the best available recent sources: over the last several decades the percentage of UK residents identifying as Christian has fallen from majority levels (often above 60–70% in earlier decades, by some counts) to under half by the 2021 census in England & Wales (46.2%) and to around mid‑40s for the UK in aggregated reporting; surveys since 1983 show a steady decline explained mainly by cohort replacement, even as migration has added Christian populations in absolute terms [1] [4] [3] [2].