The proportion of British people who identify as Christian has plummeted from 66 percent three decades ago to just 38 percent today.
Perhaps even more alarming is the fact only 1 percent of those aged 18 to 24 identify as Anglican, according to the 2018 British Social Attitudes report, which surveyed 3,879 people total.
Fifty-two percent of respondents said they do not affiliate with any religion whatsoever, continuing the trend toward secularism in both the U.S. and the U.K.
“Of these, most were simply not brought up with a religion, with a smaller minority having lost a childhood faith,” the report states. “Those who do not regard themselves as belonging to a religion are increasingly secular, that is, likely to say they are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ unreligious.”
In total, only 38 percent of survey-takers identified themselves as Christians.
The non-religious population in the U.K. is becoming increasingly atheist. One in four stated unequivocally: “I don’t believe in God.” In 1998, only one in 10 said the same.
These numbers are far from surprising, given the obvious shift toward secular thinking and away from religion — particularly in Europe.
For example, more than one fifth of all churches in the Netherlands have been converted into libraries, apartments, offices, and other commercial spaces.
In 2016, two-thirds of Dutch people said they have no religious affiliation whatsoever. And one year before, in 2015, a majority of people in the country — 63 percent — claimed religion does more harm than good.