UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK youth faith surged among 18–24s from 16% to 36% over four years, while atheism in the age group fell to 32%.
As reported by The Telegraph, belief in a supernatural power has risen among young Britons, climbing from 16% in 2021 to 36% of 18–24-year-olds today.
What did the YouGov survey reveal about young Brits’ faith and atheism?
YouGov survey indicates a decline in youth atheism, dropping from 49% to 32% as belief in God rises.
The findings, which did not break down respondents by religion, suggest a rise in faith across Britain amid a quiet revival in churches and a growing Muslim population.
The study also found that belief in God grew slightly among other age groups over the same period.
The poll showed that between 2021 and 2025, belief in God among 25–49-year-olds rose from 21% to 25%. In the same period, atheism in this age group fell from 45% to 42%.
Among 50–64-year-olds, belief in God remained steady at 27%, while atheism dropped from 41% to 36%. For adults aged 65 and over, belief in God declined from 35% to 32%. At the same time, atheism in this age group rose from 30% to 35%. The data suggest that Britain’s long-term decline in faith may be starting to reverse.
The 2021 census found Christians now make up less than 50% of the population in England and Wales.
Data about faith and religious observance in Britain
Recent studies suggest the decline in church attendance may be slowing, amid mass immigration and a subtle “quiet revival” of Christianity.
According to the Bible Society, 16% of young adults aged 18–24 now attend church monthly. This is up from just 4% in 2018. The findings showed notable rises in attendance at Roman Catholic and Pentecostal churches.
Britain’s Muslim population rose from 2.7 million in 2011 to 3.9 million in 2021. Nearly 50% of this number is under the age of 24. The Jewish population grew to 5.7% between 2011 and 2021. It increased from 271,904 to 287,360
Bishop Jill Duff’s views on the UK’s spiritual awakening
The Rt Rev Jill Duff, the Bishop of Lancaster, said the UK was undergoing a “spiritual awakening.”
She stated,
“I’m not surprised by this. It is very much what we are seeing on the ground in our churches.”
Ms Duff said,
“There has been a trend in this direction – that the younger you are, the more spiritually open you are – for quite a number of years, and we are seeing a real openness to God and Christianity and especially to the supernatural in the younger age-group.”
She added,
“I think there is a spiritual awakening. COVID-19 led to a big increase in prayer – for example, there is a global week of ‘24/7 Prayer’ coming up in September. The data shows that as people pray, the nation spiritually awakens. That has been the case for generations.”
Key facts about the UK’s population by religion
Christianity remains the largest UK religion at 46.5% but is declining, led by the Church of England.
Islam is growing at 6%, mainly in major cities, while the non-religious have risen sharply to 37.8% from 25.7% in 2011, reflecting ongoing secularisation. Judaism accounts for 0.4%, with growth in Orthodox communities.
Number of religious institutions in the UK
The UK has about 40,300 active churches, though over 3,500 have closed in the past decade, with some converted into mosques, nightclubs, or other venues.
Meanwhile, there are an estimated 1,500–2,175 mosques and prayer halls, surpassing the number of McDonald’s outlets (1,462).