Socio-Demographic Groups and Religious Affiliation in Britain

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) issued an interesting online press release on the 31^st May, entitled ‘Church of England decline has accelerated in past decade’. The press release set out some of the main developments in religious affiliation captured in around three decades of the British Social Attitudes (BSA) surveys. The main developments identified were:

• the proportion of those self-identifying as Anglican fell from 40% in 1983 to 17% in 2014;
• the proportion reporting that they had no religious affiliation increased from 31% in 1983 to 49% in 2014;
• the figures are broadly stable in terms of the proportions identifying as Catholic (1983: 10%; 2014: 8%) or belonging to the ‘other Christian’ category (1983: 17%; 2014: 17%);
• the proportion identifying with a non-Christian faith increased from 2 per cent in 1983 to 8% in 2014.

The press release also provides, across time, GB adult population estimates for each religious affiliation category. In the adult population, the number of Anglicans declined from 16.5 million in 1983, to 14.3 million in 1994, 13.2 million in 2004, and totalling 8.6 million in 2014.  The press release and accompanying data tables can be found here.

Following on from the changes in the overall religious landscape identified in the NatCen press release, this BRIN post analyses data on the distribution of religious affiliation across socio-demographic groups. It compares data taken from the 1983 and 2013 BSA surveys (the 2014 survey has not yet been released for wider usage through the UK Data Service). The main focus here is the proportions within these socio-demographic groups identifying as Anglican. Comparative data for other religious affiliation categories are provided in the tables below. The categories of religious affiliation used are: Anglican, Catholic, other Christian, other religion, and no religion.

Based on the BSA 1983 survey, Table 1 shows the distribution of religious affiliation within different socio-demographic groups, classified by sex, age, ethnicity and country. Data by English region, based on the 1983 survey, are shown in Table 2. Table 1 shows the proportion that identified as Anglican was higher amongst women (44%) compared to men (35%). There are clear differences based on age in 1983: 16% of those aged 18-24 identified as Anglican compared to 32% of those in the next oldest age group (25-34). The proportion that identified as Anglican amounted to a majority of those aged 65 and over, two-fifths of those aged 35-44, and nearly half of those aged 45-64 years of age. The proportions that identified as Anglican differed markedly based on ethnic group and country (45% in England compared to 30% in Wales and 2% in Scotland).

Table 1: Religious affiliation by socio-demographic group, 1983

Source: BSA 1983.

Note: Percentages sum across the rows and have been rounded.

Data for the other ‘religion category’ are not reported.

Based on the distribution of religious affiliation across regions in England, shown in Table 2 for the 1983 survey, identification as Anglican was highest in the North East, West Midlands and the South East. It was lowest in East Anglia / Eastern England.

Table 2: Religious affiliation by English region, 1983

Source: BSA 1983.

Note: Percentages sum across the rows and have been rounded. Data for the other ‘religion category’ are not reported.

Turning to more contemporary data in Table 3, taken from the BSA 2013 survey, it is apparent that the proportions identifying as Anglican have fallen across all socio-demographic groups. The marked age differential is still present. While just 3% and 4% of those in the 18-24 and 25-34 age groups, respectively, identify as Anglican, this steadily increases to more a third of those aged 65-74 (36%) and 75 and over (35%). Women (19%) are again more likely than men (13%) to report an Anglican affiliation, as are those from a white ethnic group and those living in England (18%, compared to 13% in Wales and 1% in Scotland).

Table 3: Religious affiliation by socio-demographic group, 2013

Source: BSA 2013.

Note: Percentages sum across the rows and have been rounded.

Finally, Table 4 shows the distribution of religious affiliation across English regions in the 2013 survey. Anglican identification amounts to between a fifth and a quarter in the West and East Midlands, and in the South West and South East; being lowest in Greater London, at 7% (which, across regions, has the highest proportion identifying with a non-Christian religion).

Table 4: Religious affiliation by English region, 2013

Source: BSA 2013.

Note: Percentages sum across the rows and have been rounded.

Delving into the detail of religious affiliation across socio-demographic groups in Britain shows consistency over time in terms of within which groups Anglican affiliation has been and is more common. The variation by age is particularly marked. Anglican affiliation is most common amongst those aged 65-74 and 75 and over. In the former group, however, it is nearly matched by the proportion who say they do not have any religious affiliation. Amongst the 18-24, 25-34 and 35-44 age groups, less than a tenth identify as Anglican. In each case, a clear majority has no religious affiliation (highest at around seven in ten of those aged 18-24).