Britain is heading towards Christian minority nation
Back in 2011, many were shocked by the results of the UK’s Office for National Statistics’ census, which was then considered the most comprehensive and accurate.
The results revealed a clear decline in the proportion of Christians, showing that only 59% of the population of England and Wales identify themselves as Christians, equivalent to 33.2 million people.
This was a huge shift, especially when you consider that 75% of babies in Britain were baptized in 1933.
Although these figures caused widespread controversy, Christian institutions in Britain did not see this as a major threat, as Christianity was still the majority religion, despite losing 4 million believers compared to 2000.
The churches hoped that they would be able to revive this presence in the coming years.
At the time, the Church of England said the figures “challenge us, but confirm that we remain a nation of faith”.
In 2014, British Prime Minister David Cameron said, “We must be more confident in our status as a Christian country, more ambitious in supporting faith-based organizations, and open to preaching the faith that drives us to change people’s lives”.
However, there were clear indications that Islam and irreligion were beginning to attract more people, which affected the position of the Church.
Ten years later, the new census in 2021 confirms that churches in Britain have not succeeded in achieving their goal.
The proportion of people in England and Wales who identify as Christians has fallen to less than half the population, at just 46.2%.
Statistics also showed that the average age of Christians has risen to 51 years, the highest rate on record, while young people are increasingly leaning towards irreligion.
On the other hand, a poll conducted by The Times revealed that 64.2% of 1,200 priests in Britain believe that the country is no longer considered a Christian state.
In contrast, the percentage of non-religious people increased from 25% in 2011 to 37.2% in 2021, while the percentage of Muslims increased from 4.9% to 6.5%.
Although irreligion doesn’t necessarily mean atheism, many people who consider themselves irreligious may be on a quest for religion or believe in a creator God without belonging to a specific religion.
The Office for National Statistics also showed that Islam was the fastest growing religion in Britain during the second decade of the millennium, with the number of Muslims increasing by 1.2 million between 2011 and 2021, to reach 3.9 million people, or 6.5% of the population.
The great replacement theory, which is embraced by some of the far right in Europe, assumes that immigration from countries
Islam and Africa will lead to the decline of white Christians in Europe until they become a minority.
Although this theory has not gained widespread support in Britain, recent statistics have been used to support far-right rhetoric about the decline of Christianity and the rise of Islam.
However, many experts argue that the decline in the proportion of Christians in Britain is mainly due to the spread of irreligion rather than immigration.
Moreover, many immigrants to Britain come from devoutly Christian countries, which means that immigration is not the main factor behind the decline.
Some thinkers, such as Stephen Evans of the National Secular Society, argue that the decline of Christianity in Britain reflects the incompatibility of religious institutions with the demands of the modern age, while scholar Alec Ryrie points out that Christianity continues to have a profound influence on British culture and politics, despite falling numbers of believers.
Ultimately, although Britain is no longer a Christian country in terms of population majority, Christian traditions still play a large role in shaping its identity.
