Religion & 2011 Census
First numbers have been issued from the 2011 Census on religious affiliation.
The headline figures for faith traditions include the following:
Baha'i 5,021
Buddhist 247,743
Christian 33,243,175
Hindu 816,633
Jain 20,288
Jewish 263,346
Muslim 2,706,066
Sikh 423,158
Zoroastrian 4,105
The analysts will be pouring over the figures in the weeks and months but one interesting fact that emerges from the raw figures is that religious diversity, far from being solely an urban phenomenon, is actually spread throughout England and Wales. The six largest religious groups are represented in virtually every census district both rural and urban. (Note: This is the England and Wales Census. Scotland’s census was conducted separately and figures will come out in 2013.)