The nationally representative survey of 2,075 UK adults revealed that, compared to all other age groups, religious Gen Z British adults are significantly more likely to say that faith would influence their voting behaviour at 44%. This is compared to just 16% of 55-64 religious Brits and 17% of religious Brits over 65s. The national average for those who are religious was just 23%.
Similarly, 65% of all 18-24 year olds say that someone of any faith should be able to be Prime Minister. This drops to 55% for 25-34 year olds, the lowest of all age groups.
18-24 year old religious Brits are also more influenced by their faith in their personal lives, with 77% saying that faith has shaped their moral values, and 60% say their faith has helped them to find purpose in the four weeks before the survey.
Dr Jake Scott, secretary of IIFL, says of the results:
Recent research has shown that as, particularly, cultural Christianity declines, the youngest generation of adults are the most likely to take their faith seriously, if they claim to have a religion. Therefore, it is of no surprise that the youngest religious voters in this country are more likely than any other age group to say their faith will influence their voting behaviour.
Some politicians have noticed that the influence of religion is not one that will be decreasing any time soon, with the publication of many faith-considering manifestos, alongside organised campaigns to elect representatives based on religious issues. It is of no surprise that the youngest religious voters in this country are more likely than any other age group to say their faith will influence their voting behaviour.
The willingness of Gen Z to see someone of any faith become Prime Minister suggests this is a positive development, should it be navigated sensibly and intelligently. Religion is, more than likely, going to become even more important in our politics in the future.
For any further information or commentary, please contact Dr Jake Scott, secretary for the Institute.
Dr Jake Scott
jake.scott@iifl.org.uk
Notes for editors:
- Whitestone Insight interviewed 2,075 UK adults on-line between 26th and 27th June 2024. Data were weighted to be representative of all UK adults. Whitestone Insight is a member of the British Polling Council (BPC) and abides by its rules.
- The full analysis can be found here.
- The full data set can be found here.
- Key stats:
- 60% of 18-24 year olds agree with the statement “my faith has helped me find purpose in the last four weeks.”
- 56% of 18-24 year olds agree with the statement “my faith is bound up with my cultural heritage.”
- 77% of 18-24 year olds agree with the statement “my faith has shaped my moral values.”
- 44% of 18-24 year olds said their faith would influence the way they would vote in the general election.
- 54% of 18-24 year olds say that faith and generally are generally a force for good in society.
- 65% of 18-24 year olds say that someone of any faith should be able to be Prime Minister.
- Key points
- Youth voting: When asked if respondents felt that their faith would shape the way they would vote in the general election, the 18-24 year old group was nearly three times as likely to say yes compared to respondents over 55, with 44% of 18-24 year olds agreeing with the statement compared to 16% of 55-64 year olds and 17% of over 65s.
- Openness to faith in politics: Britain shows a remarkable openness to people of different faiths being Prime Minister, with 64% of all respondents agreeing that someone of any faith should be able to be Prime Minister. Amongst respondents of faith, both exclusivist and non-exclusivist Muslims were the most likely to agree with the statement, at 79% and 73% respectively.
- Faith and cultural heritage: Exclusivist and non-exclusivist Hindus were most likely to report their faith to be tied to their cultural heritage and Christians of both groups the least. 79% of exclusivist Hindus and 77% of non-exclusivist Hindus agreed with the statement, compared to 68% of exclusivist and 60% of non-exclusivist Muslims, and significantly higher than both exclusivist (59%) and non-exclusivist (44%) Christians.
Tolerance of faith in political life: The public is relatively split on whether British politicians talking about their faith publicly is a good thing, with 38% saying it is, 34% saying it is not and 28% saying that they don’t know. Of all age groups, 18-24 year olds are most likely to say it is, with 49% agreeing with the statement – with 25-34 year olds the next highest at 40% and 45-54 year olds the lowest at 32%.