Belief in God doubles among young people
More than one third of 18 to 24-year-olds now believe in a supernatural deity, up from just 16 per cent in 2021.
The YouGov survey findings also reveal that atheism – the belief of no God – has fallen in the same age group from 49 per cent in August 2021 to 32 per cent.
The poll, which did not break down the respondents by religion, appeared to support claims of increased belief in Britain amid a 'quiet revival' in churches and the growing Muslim population.
'Spiritual awakening'
The Rt Rev Jill Duff, the Bishop of Lancaster, told The Telegraph that Britain was undergoing a 'spiritual awakening'.
'I'm not surprised by this,' she said. 'It is very much what we are seeing on the ground in our churches.
'There has been a trend in this direction – that the younger you are, the more spiritually open you are – for quite a number of years, and we are seeing a real openness to God and Christianity and especially to the supernatural in the younger age-group.
'I think there is a spiritual awakening. Covid led to a big increase in prayer – for example, there is a global week of '24/7 Prayer' coming up in September.
'The data is that as people pray, the nation spiritually awakens. That has been the case for generations.'
The research also identified smaller increases in belief in other age groups during the same period.
Among those aged 25 to 49, belief in God has increased from 21 to 25 per cent between 2021 and 2025, with atheism declining from 45 to 42 per cent.
In the 50 to 64 age bracket, belief in God has remained consistent at 27 per cent, but atheism has declined from 41 to 36 per cent.
But for those aged 65 and above, belief in God has decreased from 35 to 32 per cent and atheism has increased from 30 to 35 per cent.
The figures indicate that the long-term decline of faith in Britain could be beginning to change.
Church attendance has declined significantly since the middle of the 20th century, with those going to a Church of England service estimated to have fallen by 1.5 per cent every year since the 1950s.
The 2021 census also revealed that Christians now account for less than half of the population of England and Wales for the first time in recorded history.
'Quiet revival' of Christians
Other recent research also indicates that this decline in religious observance may be slowing amid mass immigration and a claimed 'quiet revival' of Christians.
The Bible Society found earlier this year that 16 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds were monthly churchgoers, up from just four per cent in 2018.
The research identified particular increases in attendance at Roman Catholic and Pentecostal churches.
Bible sales in the UK have also almost doubled in the last five years. In 2019, sales totalled £2.69 million, but in 2024 they stood at £5.02 million, according to figures from Nielsen BookScan.
Census data also shows Britain's Muslim population has increased in the past decade, rising from 2.7 million in 2011 to 3.9 million in 2021 – almost 50 per cent of whom were under 24.
There was also a 5.7 per cent increase in the Jewish population between 2011 and 2021, up from 271,904 to 287,360.
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