Britain is a multi-faith society where everyone has the freedom to practice their own religion.

Although religious practice has changed with a general move away from attending places of worship, religion still occupies an important role in defining many people’s lives.

Religious diversity can be found in many different areas of life in the UK. For example, a number of state schools are run by religious faith groups; a selection of TV, radio, print publications and websites are dedicated to specific faiths; and a range of faith-based political parties such as the Islamic Party of Britain and Operation Christian Vote campaign in local elections.

Most local authorities in Britain also have special officers who liaise with faith groups in the community. Their main task involves building a wider awareness and understanding of the religious communities in the area.

Religious practice cuts across ethnic groups and ethnic groups are multi-religious. Indians, for example, may be Sikhs, Hindus, Muslim, Christian or other faith.

For the first time, Census 2001 asked a voluntary question for people to identify their religion. According to the 2001 Census, the main faiths in the UK are:

Christianity - 71.6% of the population see themselves as practicing Christans
Islam - 2.7%
Hinduism - 1.5%
Sikhism - 0.6%
Judaism - 0.5%
Buddhism - 0.3%
 

Nationality
For centuries people from overseas have settled in the UK, either to escape political or religious persecution or in search of better economic opportunities. As a result, the UK has a significant multicultural population.

The Labor Force Survey estimated that over the period 2001-02, around 4.5 million people in Great Britain (8%) described themselves as belonging to an ethnic group other than 'White'. In general, minority ethnic groups tend to have a younger age profile than the White population, reflecting past immigration and fertility patterns.

Find more facts and figures about the UK population on the National Statistics website.