Mapping Religious Identity Across the UK

The United Kingdom is characterized by religious diversity. The 2021 Census numbers show a major change. Christians fell below half the population for the first time, now at 46.5%. Non-religious people? 37.8%. Muslims represent 6% of the UK. Hindus are 1.6% of the population, Sikhs 0.8%. Jews and Buddhists are both around 0.4%.

Those numbers don’t mean much until you look at where people actually live. Northern Ireland is nearly 80% Christian. Meanwhile in Scotland, over half the population says they have no religion. London has a large Muslim population at 15%. Travel to Northern Ireland and Muslims make up less than 1%.

Christian Populations Across Regions

Northern Ireland stands at 79.7% Christian. The sectarian conflicts there left lasting marks on how people identify religiously. England’s North East comes next at 50.8%. That’s the only other region breaking 50%.

Scotland sits at 38.8% Christian. Greater London is slightly higher at 40.7%. The South East has the most Christians by total count, 4.3 million people. But even there Christians are only 46.4% of residents. Most of Wales and England fall between 44% and 50%.

Region	Christian Population	% Christian	Total Population	% of UK Christians
South East	4,313,319	46.41%	9,293,943	13.85%
North West	3,895,779	52.52%	7,417,706	12.51%
Greater London	3,577,681	40.67%	8,796,855	11.49%
East of England	2,955,071	46.55%	6,348,165	9.49%
West Midlands	2,770,559	46.53%	5,954,350	8.89%
South West	2,635,872	46.14%	5,712,770	8.46%
Yorkshire and the Humber	2,461,519	44.91%	5,481,004	7.90%
East Midlands	2,214,151	45.37%	4,880,209	7.11%
Scotland	2,110,405	38.79%	5,440,590	6.78%
Northern Ireland	1,516,147	79.66%	1,903,273	4.87%
Wales	1,354,773	46.53%	2,911,612	4.35%
North East	1,343,948	50.78%	2,646,609	4.31%
UK Total	31,149,224	46.53%	66,944,389	100.00%

The ethnic makeup of England’s Christians has shifted over time. White British people are 78% of the group. Other White populations, many from Eastern Europe, account for 8%. Black Christians are 6% of the total, Asian Christians 2%.

Where Non-Religious Identity Is Highest

Scotland leads here. 51.1% of Scots identify as having no religion. Wales reaches 46.6%. The South West of England hits 44%.

Northern Ireland sits at just 17.4% non-religious. The North West has Manchester and Liverpool but is only 32.6% non-religious. London? Just 27%, below the national average.

Region	No Religion Population	% No Religion	Total Population	% of UK No Religion
South East	3,733,094	40.17%	9,293,943	14.77%
Scotland	2,780,900	51.12%	5,440,590	11.00%
East of England	2,544,509	40.08%	6,348,165	10.07%
South West	2,513,389	43.99%	5,712,770	9.95%
North West	2,419,624	32.62%	7,417,706	9.57%
Gr. London	2,380,404	27.06%	8,796,855	9.42%
Yorkshire and the Humber	2,161,185	39.43%	5,481,004	8.55%
W. Midlands	1,955,003	32.83%	5,954,350	7.74%
East Midlands	1,950,354	39.97%	4,880,209	7.72%
Wales	1,446,398	46.55%	2,911,612	5.72%
North East	1,058,122	39.98%	2,646,609	4.19%
Northern Ireland	330,983	17.39%	1,903,273	1.31%
UK Total	25,273,945	37.75%	66,944,389	100.00%

Most of the UK atheists are British.

Muslim Communities

London contains 1.3 million Muslims. They represent 15% of people living in the capital. About a third of all British Muslims live in London. The West Midlands reaches 9.6% Muslim. In the North West it’s 7.6%.

Scotland’s Muslim population is much smaller at 2.2%. Northern Ireland barely hits 0.6%.

Region	Muslim Population	% Muslim	Total Population	% of UK Muslims
Gr. London	1,318,754	14.99%	8,796,855	32.98%
W. Midlands	569,963	9.57%	5,954,350	14.25%
North West	563,105	7.59%	7,417,706	14.08%
Yorkshire and the Humber	442,533	8.07%	5,481,004	11.07%
South East	309,067	3.33%	9,293,943	7.73%
East of England	234,744	3.70%	6,348,165	5.87%
East Midlands	210,766	4.32%	4,880,209	5.27%
Scotland	119,872	2.20%	5,440,590	3.00%
South West	80,152	1.40%	5,712,770	2.00%
North East	72,102	2.72%	2,646,609	1.80%
Wales	66,947	2.15%	2,911,612	1.67%
Northern Ireland	10,870	0.57%	1,903,273	0.27%
UK Total	3,998,875	5.97%	66,944,389	100.00%

The ethnic backgrounds vary within the Muslim community. People of Pakistani heritage form the largest group at 38%. Bangladeshis are the second largest at 15.3%. Black Muslims account for 10.8% of the community. Arabs make up 7.2%, Indians 6.4%.

Hindus

London dominates. The capital has 42% of all British Hindus. Add the South East and that’s 57% of the Hindu population in two regions. Scotland has under 30,000 Hindus. Northern Ireland has around 4,000.

Region	Hindu Population	% Hindu	Total Population	% of UK Hindus
Gr. London	453,034	5.09%	8,796,855	42.47%
South East	154,748	1.66%	9,293,943	14.51%
East Midlands	120,345	2.46%	4,880,209	11.28%
W. Midlands	88,116	1.48%	5,954,350	8.26%
East of England	86,631	1.40%	6,348,165	8.12%
North West	49,749	0.67%	7,417,706	4.66%
Scotland	29,929	0.55%	5,440,590	2.81%
Yorkshire and the Humber	29,243	0.53%	5,481,004	2.74%
South West	27,746	0.49%	5,712,770	2.60%
Wales	12,242	0.39%	2,911,612	1.15%
North East	10,924	0.42%	2,646,609	1.02%
Northern Ireland	4,190	0.22%	1,903,273	0.39%
UK Total	1,066,894	1.59%	66,944,389	100.00%

Most British Hindus trace heritage to India (77%). Sri Lankan Tamils are 6% of the community. Nepalis make up nearly 4%.

Sikhs

The West Midlands has 32% of British Sikhs. That’s the strongest regional concentration of any major religious group in the entire UK. London contains another 27% of Sikhs.

The pattern traces back decades. Birmingham and Wolverhampton had booming factories in the 1950s and 60s. They needed workers and recruited from Punjab. Those early arrivals formed communities. Families joined them. About 74% of British Sikhs have Indian heritage today.

Region	Sikh Population	% Sikh	Total Population	% of UK Sikhs
W. Midlands	172,398	2.89%	5,954,350	32.19%
Gr. London	144,543	1.64%	8,796,855	27.00%
South East	74,348	0.80%	9,293,943	13.88%
East Midlands	53,950	1.11%	4,880,209	10.07%
East of England	24,284	0.38%	6,348,165	4.53%
Yorkshire and the Humber	24,034	0.44%	5,481,004	4.49%
North West	11,862	0.16%	7,417,706	2.22%
Scotland	10,988	0.20%	5,440,590	2.05%
North East	7,206	0.27%	2,646,609	1.35%
South West	7,465	0.13%	5,712,770	1.39%
Wales	4,048	0.13%	2,911,612	0.76%
Northern Ireland	389	0.02%	1,903,273	0.07%
UK Total	535,515	0.79%	66,944,389	100.00%

Jews and Buddhists

Greater London is home to over half of British Jews (52%). The East of England has another 15%, mostly in Hertfordshire and Essex near London. Put those together and two regions account for 67% of Britain’s 277,613 Jews.

Region	Jewish Population	% Jewish	Total Population	% of UK Jews
Gr. London	145,480	1.65%	8,796,855	52.41%
East of England	42,012	0.66%	6,348,165	15.14%
North West	33,285	0.45%	7,417,706	11.99%
South East	18,682	0.20%	9,293,943	6.73%
Yorkshire and the Humber	9,355	0.17%	5,481,004	3.37%
South West	7,387	0.13%	5,712,770	2.66%
Scotland	5,847	0.11%	5,440,590	2.11%
W. Midlands	4,394	0.07%	5,954,350	1.58%
East Midlands	4,313	0.09%	4,880,209	1.55%
North East	4,389	0.16%	2,646,609	1.58%
Wales	2,044	0.07%	2,911,612	0.74%
Northern Ireland	439	0.02%	1,903,273	0.16%
UK Total	277,613	0.41%	66,944,389	100.00%

Buddhists are more geographically dispersed. The South East contains 27% of them. London has 19%. The East of England accounts for 9%.

Region	Buddhist Population	% Buddhist	Total Population	% of UK Buddhists
South East	77,425	0.88%	9,293,943	26.73%
Gr. London	54,433	0.59%	8,796,855	18.80%
East of England	26,814	0.42%	6,348,165	9.26%
South West	24,579	0.43%	5,712,770	8.49%
North West	23,028	0.31%	7,417,706	7.95%
W. Midlands	18,804	0.32%	5,954,350	6.49%
Yorkshire and the Humber	15,803	0.29%	5,481,004	5.46%
Scotland	15,501	0.28%	5,440,590	5.35%
East Midlands	14,521	0.30%	4,880,209	5.01%
Wales	10,075	0.32%	2,911,612	3.48%
North East	7,026	0.27%	2,646,609	2.43%
Northern Ireland	1,542	0.08%	1,903,273	0.53%
UK Total	289,551	0.43%	66,944,389	100.00%