Although the UK is historically a Christian society, everyone has the legal right to practise the religion of their choice. In the 2001 census, just over 75% said they had a religion. 7 out of 10 of these were Christians. There were also a considerable number of people who followed other religions. Although many people in the UK said they held religious beliefs, currently only around 10% of the population attend religious services. More people attend services in Scotland and Northern Ireland than in England and Wales. In London the number of people who attend religious services is increasing.
Religions in the UK
| Christian (10% of whom are Roman Catholic) | 71.6% |
| Muslim | 2.7% |
| Hindu | 1.0% |
| Sikh | 0.6% |
| Jewish | 0.5% |
| Buddhist | 0.3% |
| Other | 0.3% |
| Total All | 77% |
| No Religion | 15.5% |
| Not Stated | 7.3% |
Source: National Statistics from the 2001 census
The Church of England is a Protestant church and has existed since the Reformation in the 1530's. The king or queen (the monarch) is the head, or the Supreme Governor, of the Church of England. The monarch is not allowed to marry anyone who is not Protestant. The spiritual leader of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury. The monarch has the right to select the Archbishop and other senior church officials, but usually the choice is made by the Prime Minister and a committee appointed by the Church. Several Church of England bishops sit in the House of Lords (see chapter 4). In Scotland the established church is the Presbyterian Church; its head is the Chief Moderator. There is no established church in Wales or in Northern Ireland.
Other Protestant Christian groups in the UK are Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists and Quakers. 10% of Christians are Roman Catholic (40% in Northern Ireland).
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a national saint called a patron saint. Each saint has a feast day. In the past these were celebrated as holy dates when many people had a day off work. Today these are not public holidays except for 17 March in Northern Ireland.
Patron saints' days
| St David's Day | Wales | 1 March |
| St Patrick's Day | Northern Ireland | 17 March |
| St George's Day | England | 23 April |
| St Andrew's Day | Scotland | 30 November |
There are also four public holidays a year called Bank Holidays. These are of no religious or national significance.
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This material is based on the "Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship" handbook and is produced with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationary Office (HMSO) copyright unit. No part of this material may be copied or reproduced without the permission of HMSO copyright unit. Reproduced under the terms of the Click-Use Licence.