The proportion of English and Welsh people over 65 who have “no religion” has doubled over the last decade, a new analysis of census data has revealed.
A report by the Office for National Statistics showed that in 2021 a total of 17.5 per cent of people in that age group said they have no faith compared to 8.5 per cent who made the same claim in 2011.
The vast majority – 72.2 per cent - of people aged 65 years or over in England and Wales in 2021 still identified as Christian, however.
The likelihood of being Christian increased across older age groups, from 68.4 per cent of people aged 64 to 74 years to 76.1 per cent of people aged 75 to 84 years and 78.4 per cent of people aged 85 years and over.
