A new WIN/Gallup poll has found that a majority of Britons are non-religious, finding that 66% of the population is non-religious and that just a third is religious.
The Gallup poll, which used the same methodology around the world to ensure fairness and to build a global map of religious identification, has found starkly similar results to previous surveys of its kind, such as the 2014 British Social Attitudes Survey, which found that 51% of the population was non-religious. Polls from YouGov, Survation, Ipsos Mori and others have all found similar results in recent years.
British Humanist Association Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns Pavan Dhaliwal commented, ‘While politicians continue to make exaggerated claims about the importance of Christianity to Britain’s shared cultural life, yet another poll has shown that British people are largely non-religious. On top of that we know that a majority of people in Britain, whatever their religious or non-religious beliefs, do not want to see public policies influenced by religious ideas. Let our politicians take note: continued attempts to justify policy on the grounds of a religious identity most of us do not share not only breeds needless division, but builds upon serious shaky ground.’
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For further comment or information, please contact Pavan Dhaliwal, Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns, at pavan@humanists.uk or on 0773 843 5059.
The Gallup poll found that 13% of the population of the UK identified as ‘convinced atheist’ on top of 53% who said they were non-religious. 4% identified as unsure, and 30% were religious (all religions). Countries with lower levels of religious self-identification were the Czech Republic (27%), the Netherlands (26%), Hong Kong (26%), Sweden (19%), Japan (13%), and the mainland China (7%). UK statistics available here: http://www.wingia.com/web/files/richeditor/filemanager/UK_Tables_V3_a.pdf
April 2015: Latest YouGov poll finds two thirds of Brits are non-religious https://humanists.uk/2015/04/09/most-britons-are-not-religious-finds-latest-poll/
June 2014: British Social Attitudes Survey finds majority of Brits are non-religious https://humanists.uk/2014/06/17/british-social-attitudes-survey-finds-people-religion-just-41-7-christian/
Blog post: ‘Polls consistently show we’re not a religious country. So why don’t our politicians get it?’ http://humanistlife.org.uk/2015/04/09/the-polls-show-were-not-a-religious-country-so-why-dont-our-politicians-get-it/
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.