Britain’s attitudes to faith in public life – August 2024

Key points

• Faith helps more people find purpose: There has been an increase in the proportion who say their faith has helped them find purpose over the previous month, up 7 points to 43%, and a 5-point increase in the proportion who say their faith has significantly impacted the way they have lived over the previous month, up to 37%.
• British politicians should listen to faith leaders: In the wake of last month’s General Election, it is notable that a significantly higher proportion (46%, up 7 points) say that British politicians should listen to what faith leaders have to say on social and political issues. This increase includes a 6 point increase to 33% of those with no faith.
• The media treats faith groups differently: There has also been a significant swing towards the view that media treatment of different faiths has been unbalanced with an 11% increase in those who disagree that media coverage has been balanced in the previous four weeks. There has been a 9 point increase in those who say that the media has generally portrayed all religion negatively, including among those with no faith.
• Jewish people are least happy with the presentation of their faith in the media: While more people with faith overall say they are content than not with the way the media tends to portray their religion (45% to 27%), for Jewish people the opposite is the case with only around one in three (36%) content but 54% who disagree.
• But there is too much religion in the media: Notwithstanding the above, more than half (54%) now say they would like to see less religion in the media (up 6 points), including 46% of those with a faith (up 8 points) and 64% of those of no faith (up 3 points).
• Religious extremism poses a threat to society: More than eight in ten (82%) believe religious extremism poses a threat to British society and fewer than one in ten (8%) disagree.
• Jewish people are least likely to feel free to practice their faith in the UK: The poll highlight some major concerns among Jewish people: while 67% feel completely free to practice their religion without fear or intimidation, this falls to 47% among Jews. We also found that 83% of Jews say their faith is bound up with their cultural heritage, compared to 53% of the overall sample.