Nearly a third of people in Britain who were raised as Christians no longer identify with the religion in adulthood, according to a major international study, highlighting a steady decline in traditional faith adherence across the country.
Key Findings from the Pew Research Centre Study
The analysis by the Pew Research Centre found that around 30 percent of the UK population grew up in either Protestant or Catholic households but later abandoned their religious identity. The findings are based on a telephone survey of 1,017 people across Britain. The data shows a sharp gap between childhood affiliation and adult belief.
While 51 percent of respondents said they were raised Protestant, only 31 percent still identify with the denomination. Around 23 percent said they had been raised Protestant but later left, compared with just 3 percent who joined it as converts. A similar trend is visible within Catholicism. Although 16 percent of those surveyed said they were raised Catholic, only 11 percent remain in the faith. Seven percent reported leaving Catholicism, while only 1 percent said they had joined it without being raised in it.
Where Do Former Christians Go?
The study also sheds light on what happens after people leave organised religion. Among former Protestants in Britain, 87 percent now identify as non-believers, while 4 percent have become Catholic and 8 percent have joined another religion. Among those raised Catholic who later left, 71 percent became non-believers, with 14 percent switching to Protestantism and another 14 percent moving to a different faith. The report noted that the number of people switching between religions remains relatively small.
Researchers describe the broader trend as “religious switching”, a term used to reflect the range of ways people move away from or between belief systems. “We use the term instead of ‘conversion’ because the changes can be in many directions, including from having been raised in a religion to being unaffiliated, and may not involve a formal initiation process,” the Pew Research Centre said.
Global Context and Notable Trends
The pattern is not limited to Britain. Across 24 countries analysed in the study, more people have left Catholicism than joined it in 21 nations. Hungary was the only country where the trend was reversed. “Former Protestants are a sizable share of the population in many countries around the world. In nine of the 24 countries we analysed, this group makes up 10 percent or more of the population,” the report said, as quoted by The Times (UK).
While Protestantism has gained ground in parts of the world, particularly in Latin America, Britain has seen the opposite trend. “Most of the countries where Protestantism has had net gains are in Latin America,” Pew said. “Most Brazilians who have switched into Protestantism are former Catholics. Sweden, the UK and Germany are among the countries with the largest net losses.”
Public Figures Reflect the Shift
Public figures reflect this shift in belief. Actor James McAvoy, who said he was raised by grandparents who were “very good churchgoing Catholics” and regularly attended church, told The Times (UK) he stopped going at the age of 16, adding: “The minute I was allowed to make my own choices, I stopped going to church.”
The findings also cast doubt on claims of a widespread religious revival among younger people. The Bible Society withdrew a report suggesting a rise in church attendance among Gen Z after the underlying YouGov data was found to be flawed, The Times (UK) noted.
