UK moving away from religion: survey

London, January 17

Britain is undergoing a post-religion era with most of its citizens not following any religion, according to a new survey.

The poll, conducted by YouGov last month with a sample of 1,500 across the British population, including recent immigrants, found almost half (46 per cent) have no religion, up from 42 per cent in February 2015 and from 37 per cent in January 2013.

The figure rises to more than 50 per cent among white British, The Sunday Times reported.

The increase in agnosticism is most pronounced among those aged under 40.

"There has been a revolutionary generational change in our religious identity from the norm being Christian to the norm being 'no religion'," said Linda Woodhead, professor in the sociology of religion at Lancaster University, who will officially unveil the figures on Tuesday at the British Academy lecture.

In her address, "Why 'no religion' is the new religion," she will argue that Britain's Christian leaders have lost touch with congregations on issues, including gay marriage and abortion.

"Most Anglicans and Catholics are not like their leaders. They are liberal about personal morality and more right-wing politically but their leaders are more conservative in personal morality and more left-wing politically," she said.

Woodhead believes a tipping point may have been reached that will lead members of other faiths to abandon their religion.

"It's likely that people will assimilate to the majority. Mixed-race white and black are even less likely to have a religion than whites. I think it may also happen to Muslims," she said.

According to the YouGov poll, among the under-40s of all races, 56 per cent have no religion.

However, one in six (16.5 per cent) of those who say they have no religion believe there is definitely or probably some higher power and a quarter of those without a religion take part in some spiritual activity each month, typically prayer.

Only a small proportion are anti-religious (13 per cent) or identify as secular or humanist (7 per cent). — PTI