Is Britain becoming less religious? Census 2021 and the sociology of secularisation

Short answer: In the 2021 Census of England and Wales (Scotland counts separately, so these figures cover England and Wales only), 46.2% of people described themselves as Christian, down from 59.3% in 2011, while 37.2% said they had no religion, up from 25.2%. Sociologists use this kind of evidence to debate secularisation, the idea that religion loses its influence in modern society. But the numbers do not settle the argument, because other sociologists say religion is changing form, not disappearing. [1]

What the Census found

The Census is a count of the whole population, run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The religion question is voluntary, and 94.0% of residents answered it in 2021. [1] The main changes between 2011 and 2021 were:

• Christian: 59.3% to 46.2% (27.5 million people in 2021).
• No religion: 25.2% to 37.2% (22.2 million people in 2021).
• Muslim: 4.9% to 6.5% (3.9 million people in 2021).

Even so, "Christian" was still the most common answer, and the ONS notes that results should be compared with care because response rates differ. [1] So the story is mixed: a big fall in Christian identity, a big rise in non-religious identity, and growth in some other religions.

The theory: secularisation

The secularisation thesis says that as societies modernise, religion declines in public life, in belief and in attendance. Steve Bruce's book God is Dead: Secularization in the West (2002) is a well-known defence of this thesis against its critics. [2] A supporter would see the Census fall in Christian identity as evidence.

The counter-arguments

Believing without belonging. Grace Davie's book Religion in Britain since 1945 (1994) is subtitled "Believing without Belonging". [4] The phrase is used for the argument that many people keep religious beliefs even though they no longer join churches. If that is right, falling membership alone does not prove that belief has gone.

Spirituality instead of religion. Heelas and Woodhead's The Spiritual Revolution (2005) studied the town of Kendal. It argues that spiritualities that engage with personal experience are doing better than religions that demand conformity to higher truth. [3] On this view, much of the change is a shift from external authority to the self.

Evaluating the Census as evidence

This is a useful exam skill, because it links theory to methods.

• Strength: it covers almost the whole population, with the same question for everyone, so it is reliable and good for comparing 2011 and 2021.
• Limit: a tick box measures identity, not belief or practice. Someone can tick "Christian" and never attend, or tick "no religion" and still pray. So validity is limited.
• Limit: the question is voluntary, so about 6% did not answer. [1]

Imagine a school deciding whether to hold a daily assembly with a religious element. It would find the Census useful for the local mix of beliefs, but it would need interviews or surveys to learn what families actually believe.

How this links to your exam

On AQA A-level Sociology (7192), religion sits in the Topics in Sociology content under "Beliefs in Society". Its content includes religious beliefs, practices and organisations in relation to social change and social stability, and the nature and extent of secularisation in a global context. [5] Paper 2, Topics in Sociology, is worth 80 marks. [6]

Use the Census example in three ways:

• Application: quote the figures (46.2%, 37.2%) to show you can use evidence, not only theory.
• Analysis: explain what the figures would mean for a secularisation theorist, then for Davie or Heelas and Woodhead.
• Evaluation: judge the quality of the evidence and the theory, as in the bullet list above, and reach a conclusion.

If a question asks you to evaluate the view that society is becoming more secular, the strongest answers weigh the evidence for and against and then decide which side has the stronger case.

CC practice question: Assess how far Census evidence supports the claim that religion matters less in society today.

CC worked paragraph: Supporters of secularisation can point to Census 2021 in England and Wales, where the share describing themselves as Christian fell from 59.3% to 46.2% in a decade. This fits the view, defended by Bruce, that modern societies move away from religion. However, Davie argues that people may be believing without belonging, so a fall in identity does not prove a fall in belief. In addition, the Census only records a tick-box identity, so it has limited validity as evidence of what people actually believe. Heelas and Woodhead suggest the change may be a shift towards personal spirituality instead of decline. Overall, the Census clearly shows a fall in Christian identity, but it cannot show a fall in belief, so the secularisation thesis is strongest when it is limited to identity and membership.

How CC approaches this

The Criterion Method begins with what examiners reward: a real-world anchor, a clear line of theory, and a judgement that answers the question. Students also learn in different ways, and the Academic DNA diagnostic helps you find out whether you work best from case studies, diagrams or discussion. You can explore more on the CC Sociology platform.