Religious Change in Britain -1991 to 2018 

From an article by British Religion in Numbers

British Religion in Numbers (BRIN) have analysed data from the religion modules which have featured in periodic British Social Attitudes (BSA) surveys.  The BSA survey datasets were obtained from the United Kingdom Data Service.

They looked at data from the 1991 and 2018 surveys. The questions gauge different aspects of religion in wider society: religious authority, belief in God, other religious beliefs, and religious activity.

The bulletpoint findings are these:

• Proportion of people with a religious affiliation has declined from 65% in 1991 to 48% in 2018.
• Proportion brought up in some religious tradition has also fallen over recent decades, from 95% in 1991 to 75% in 2018.
• Frequent attendance at religious services – going at least monthly – shows less change over time, falling slightly from 22% to 19%.
• Proportion with some level of confidence in churches has fallen from 54% in 1991 to 47% in 2018.
• Proportion of thinking that religious institutions have too much power rose from just 11% in 1991 to 36% in 2018.
• Disapproval of religious leaders exerting their authority over how people vote at elections has run at very high levels across the period at 75%.
• In 1991, only a quarter said that God existed and had no doubts about it, which had fallen to 19% in 2018.
• In 1991, 47% said that they believed in God and had always done so, which has declined to 35% in 2018.
• 34% agreed in 1991 that there was a God who was personally concerned with every human being, this stood at 34% in 2018.
• Proportion concurring that life was only meaningful because of God’s existence also declined, from 19% to 15%.
• Proportion expressing belief in heaven fell over the period from 48% to 38%.
• Proportion that believed in religious miracles also fell from 40% to 27%.
• Belief in hell, which was much lower in relative terms in 1991, stayed about the same - 27%.
• Belief in life after death stood at 48% in 1991 and 43% in 2018.
• 27% prayed weekly in 1991 and 21% did so in 2018.
• Took part in activities at church apart from services - 11% in 1991 and 12% in 2018.

Read the full article here.


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