- November 14, 2024
Britain’s attitudes to faith in public life – November 2024
Each month, the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) commissions a unique, nationally-representative survey into the British public’s attitudes to the role that faith plays in different aspects of life. Respondents are polled on topics including personal faith, faith in public life, faith in education, faith literacy, faith in the media and how Britain’s relationship with faith has changed.
This survey was carried out by Whitestone Insight. They interviewed 2,083 UK adults on-line between 25th and 27th October 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.
Key points
- Faith and finding purpose: 71% of 18 to 24 year olds say faith has helped them find their purpose over the last month, compared to 57% of 25 to 34 year olds, and only 27% of those aged 65+, indicating a clear trend where faith plays a larger role in the lives of younger people.
- Faith in politics: 54% of 18 to 24 year olds view British politicians discussing their faith publicly as a positive. Support for faith in politics is also strong across religious groups, with 64% of Muslims and 51% of Christians agreeing that politicians speaking about their faith is beneficial.
- Listening to faith leaders: Across faith groups, over half of respondents believe British politicians should consider the views of faith leaders on social and political issues, including 54% of Christians, 58% of Hindus, and 61% of Muslims. The national average sits lower at 45%.
- Perceptions of media bias against religion: 50% of 18 to 24 year olds feel the media portrays some religions more negatively than others, revealing a perception of religious bias in media amongst younger generations.
- Older groups favour less religious media: For those aged 55 and older, more than half (56%) of 55 to 64 year olds and 51% of those aged 65+ express a desire to see less religion in the media.