Youth revival
Faith is of higher value, significance and impact to Gen Z compared with previous generations. A higher proportion of Gen Z have changed faith compared with the 65 plus group demonstrating a higher level of conversion into a different faith amongst Gen Z. Gen Z emphasises the importance of faith in the public domain, viewing politicians discussing their faith publicly and faith leaders’ involvement in social and political matters positively. A significant majority of Gen Z have friends of other faiths and the majority learn about other faiths from these friends, contrasting with only 25% of over 65s learning about other faiths from friends who hold different beliefs.
Overall Gen Z are more seeking God; they are more zealous in their faith being that the majority of them believe their faith is the only true religion; they are more wanting to speak of their faith in public and hear others share their faith, whilst also showing higher levels of interfaith and learning through interfaith.
- 69% of respondents within the 18-24 year old bracket believe their faith significantly impacts their lives, compared to 44% of respondents aged 55-65 and 51% of respondents aged 65 plus.
- 72% of respondents within the 18-24 year old bracket find faith helps them find purpose in life, in contrast to 47% of respondents aged 65 plus.
- 78% of respondents within the 18-24 year old bracket feel their faith has shaped their moral values, compared to 63% of respondents aged 45-54, 65% of respondents aged 55-64, and 68% of respondents aged 65 plus.
- 76% of respondents within the 18-24 year old bracket have friends with faiths or beliefs different from their own, a trend consistent across age groups.
- 53% of respondents within the 18-24 year old bracket believe their faith to be the only true religion, while 25% of respondents aged 65 plus share this belief. However, 45% of respondents within the 18-24 year old bracket are open to changing their minds about faith, compared to 22% of respondents aged 65 plus.
Christianity
- 38% of Christian and Jewish respondents prefer not to tell people about their faith compared with 29% of Muslim respondents. Christian and Jewish respondents are the least willing to tell people about their faith.
- Christians were least likely to have changed faith in their life suggesting that Christianity is receiving the least converts.
- Christians are least likely to oppose talking about faith in the workplace with 37% believing it should not be spoken about compared with 43% Muslim respondents, 52% of Hindu respondents and 47% of Jewish respondents.
- 46% of respondents within the 18-24 year old bracket believe that Christian heritage is an important aspect of British culture compared with 74% of those in the 65 plus bracket.
Judaism
- Jewish respondents were in the most agreement with Christian heritage being the most important aspect of British culture (87%) followed closely by Christian respondents (80%), Budhist respondents (73%) and Muslim respondents (65%). Respondents of no religious faith were least likely to agree with this statement at 47%.
- 80% of Jewish respondents agreed with the statement that the UK is a Christian country followed by 64% of Christian respondents, 63% of Hindu respondents and 38% of Muslim respondents.
- Jewish respondents were most likely to agree that it is important to understand what the major religions are about with 86% of respondents agreeing with this statement compared with 78% of Christian respondents and 64% of respondents of no religious faith.
- Jewish respondents were in most agreement (97%) with the statement that it is important to learn about other faiths besides your own in school and (88%) that it is good that children are taught religious education in school compared with 65% of Hindu respondents and 50% of respondents with no religious faith.
- Jewish respondents were most likely to agree that freedom of religion has worsened in the UK in the last ten years with 82% agreeing with this statement compared with 46% Muslims, 38% of Hindus and 54% of Christian respondents.
- 100% of Jewish respondents have friends who hold a different faith or beliefs about God to them.
Islam
- 92% of Muslim respondents believe their faith has a significant impact on the way they live their life compared with 47% of Christian respondents.
- 88% of Muslim respondents find faith helps them find purpose in life compared with 50% of Christian respondents.
- 96% of Muslim respondents feel their faith has shaped their moral values compared with 66% of Christian respondents.
- 83% of Muslim respondents believe their faith to be the only true religion compared with 28% of Christian respondents and 5% of Jewish respondents.
- 61% of Muslim respondents are searching for a deeper understanding of God or a higher power compared with 33% of Christian respondents. Others above 50% = Hindu respondents and Buddhist respondents.
- 83% of Muslim respondents believe religion is generally a force for good in society compared with 54% of Christian respondents. Only 33% of Jewish respondents believe it to be a force for good.
- 80% of Muslim respondents are more interested in their faith now than when they were younger compared with the 38% of Christian respondents.
- Muslim respondents were most in agreement (67%) with British politicians talking about their faith being a positive thing compared with Sikhs as the least positive at 41%.
- 77% of Muslim respondents thought British politicians should listen to what faith leaders have to say on social and political issues compared with 48% of Christian respondents.
- 75% of Muslim and Christian respondents have friends with faiths or beliefs about God that are different from their own. 96% of Hindu respondents and 100% of Jewish respondents recorded the same.
Non-religious
- 13% of non-religious respondents believed faith and religion are generally a force for good in society opposed 55% of those with a religious faith.
- Those with no religion were most likely to agree with the statement that religion should not be spoken about in the workplace.
- Whilst those of faith (51%) and young people (47%) agreed that British politicians talking about their faith publicly is a positive thing only 19% of those of no-faith felt this way.
- Despite 87% of Jewish respondents, 65% of Muslim respondents and 80% of Christian respondents thinking Christian heritage is an important aspect of British culture only 47% of those of no-faith agreed with this statement.
- Respondents of no-faith were least likely to think that British politicians should listen to faith leaders on what they have to say on social and political issues (22% compared with 50% of faith).
- Respondents of no-faith were 10% less in agreement than those of faith on the statement that it is important to learn about other faiths than your own.
- Respondents of no-faith were far more likely to disagree with the statement that it is good for children to learn about religion in school (34% compared with 9% of those with faith.