Only a third of young people in Jersey are religious and one quarter are Christian

A new survey of children and young people in Jersey between school years 4 and 12 has shown that two-thirds do not regard themselves as religious and three-quarters do not regard themselves as Christian.

The results of the Jersey Children and Young People’s Survey, run by the government agency Statistics Jersey, found that 46% of children and young people said no when asked if they had a religion, compared to only 35% who said yes, with 19% saying ‘don’t know’. 27% went on to say they are Christian, while 3% said they belong to other religions and 5% said they are religious but wouldn’t say which. Channel Islands Humanists has said that the results show how inappropriate the law is that requires daily Christian worship in every state school.

This was the first time an official question on religious belonging (as opposed to the loose cultural affiliation measured by, for example, the England and Wales Census) has been asked to young people anywhere in the UK and Crown Dependencies. The results are therefore a groundbreaking insight into the beliefs of young people.

A lack of religion increases as children get older and become more confident in their own beliefs – only 38% of children in year 4 said they had no religion, but this rose to 60% for young people in year 12. It is unclear how the religious figures fell.

This reflects wider trends of no religion becoming the majority belief on the island, with the Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey 2023 recording 49% of residents as having no religion, versus 39% as saying they have a religion.

Channel Islands Humanists’ Louise Doublet, who is also a Deputy in the States Assembly, commented:

‘These statistics are hugely valuable in understanding the beliefs of children and young people. Many families aren’t aware that our education law currently requires children to attend a Christian act of worship at school once a week. This law is outdated and does not reflect the diversity of our school communities in 2025. I think head teachers should have the autonomy to decide what is best to include in their assemblies and our policies and legislation should empower them to do this.’

Jennifer Bridge MBE, the humanist representative on the RE Advisory Council, commented:

‘Our schools are inclusive environments where the voices of children and young people deserve to be heard. The data from this survey should play a vital role in shaping the curriculum. Education on religion and worldviews must be fully inclusive, acknowledging that nearly half of young people identify as having no religion. It is essential that children have the opportunity to learn about humanism alongside various faiths.’