A new study by the Pew Research Centre shows a significant decline in Christian affiliation in Britain, with one in three individuals raised Christian no longer identifying with the faith. While overall numbers are down, Bible sales and church attendance among Gen Z are showing a recent increase.
A significant new study from the Pew Research Centre reveals a concerning trend within the United Kingdom: a substantial portion of individuals raised in Christian households are abandoning their faith as they reach adulthood.
The research indicates that approximately one in three Britons, roughly 30 percent of the population, no longer identify with the Christian denomination in which they were brought up. This represents a considerable shift in religious affiliation and highlights a growing secularization within British society. The decline is particularly pronounced among those raised in Protestant and Catholic traditions, with 45 percent of former Protestants and 44 percent of former Catholics now identifying as religiously unaffiliated.
This data underscores the challenges faced by churches in maintaining membership, as the number of individuals leaving the faith, coupled with natural attrition, is not being adequately offset by new converts. The Pew Research Centre’s comprehensive survey, encompassing 24 countries globally, demonstrates that this phenomenon of ‘religious switching’ – a term used to describe changes in religious affiliation in any direction, including from religious upbringing to no affiliation – is not unique to Britain.
While observed in other nations, the pattern is particularly notable in Latin America, where a rise in individuals transitioning from Catholicism to Protestantism has been documented. However, in the UK, the trend largely points away from organized religion. Specifically, among those raised Protestant who subsequently left the church, a vast majority – 87 percent – now identify as non-believers. A smaller percentage, 4 percent, transitioned to Catholicism, while 8 percent joined other faiths.
Lapsed Catholics exhibited a slightly different pattern, with 14 percent becoming Protestant and another 14 percent embracing other faiths, but a still substantial 71 percent identifying as non-believers. The global picture reveals a broader decline in both Catholic and Protestant populations across the countries surveyed, with former Protestants forming a significant demographic in nine of the 24 nations studied and more individuals leaving Catholicism than joining in an astonishing 21 of those countries.
Hungary stands as an exception, being the only country where Catholic membership increased. The study, based on telephone interviews with over 1000 British residents, casts doubt on claims of a widespread religious revival, particularly among younger generations.
Despite the overall decline in traditional Christian affiliation, recent indicators suggest a potential, albeit limited, resurgence of interest in Christianity among Gen Z. A YouGov survey conducted last year indicated a surge in church attendance among this demographic, rising from under 5 percent to 15 percent. Furthermore, Bible sales in Britain have experienced a remarkable increase, reaching record levels in recent years.
Total UK sales of Bibles reached £6.3 million in the past year, representing a 134 percent increase in value compared to the £2.7 million recorded in 2019. This translates to a 106 percent increase in volume sold over the same period. The upward trend continued between 2024 and 2025, with sales increasing by 25 percent in value and 28 percent in volume.
This recent growth is particularly striking when compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic (2008-2019), during which annual sales grew by a mere £277,000. While these figures offer a glimmer of hope for religious institutions, they do not negate the broader trend of declining religious affiliation observed in the Pew Research Centre’s study.
The data presents a complex picture of a changing religious landscape in Britain, characterized by a significant loss of faith among those raised Christian, coupled with a potential, though still nascent, renewed interest among younger generations
Christianity Religion UK Pew Research Centre Religious Switching Gen Z Bible Sales Secularization
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