Survey finds that people in Britain aren't coming to faith as they get older

As reported by Olivia Rudgard of the London Daily Telegraph, September 7, 2018 (links in original):

Fears have been raised for the Church of England's future as researchers warn people will no longer become religious in old age.

Figures released by the National Centre for Social Research show that the number of over-55s who say they are in the Church of England has fallen from almost half to just over one in four in 15 years.

The sharpest drop was among 45 to 54 year-olds, from 35 per cent in 2002 to 11 per cent in 2017. Among young people, aged 18-24, the proportion fell to just two per cent.

More than half of the population now say they have no religion, an increase from 41 per cent in 2002.

The researchers said the figures suggested that young people were no longer finding faith as they got older.

Roger Harding, head of public attitudes at the National Centre for Social Research, said: "We've got every reason to suspect that by and large the young people with no religion today in their twenties and thirties will become, in time, people in their fifties and sixties with no religion.

"It suggests that particularly for the Church of England and Church of Scotland, their decreasing numbers aren't going to be corrected with people getting older. It's likely that as people get older they'll continue to have no religion."

The Church of England insisted that young people were still open to faith, and said its "work goes on whatever the figures may say".

Dave Male, the Church of England's director of evangelism and discipleship, said: "The headline figure here only gives us part of the picture.

"It has been clear for some time that we have moved from an era of people automatically, and perhaps unthinkingly classifying themselves as Church of England or Anglican to one in which identifying with a faith is an active choice.

"We also know from research that people, particularly younger people, are less aware of denominations.

“Yet research, especially amongst young people, shows an increase in willingness to engage in faith.

“Our experience is that people – of all ages - haven’t stopped searching for meaning and answers in their life."

Stephen Evans, chief executive of the National Secular Society, said: "These figures are part of a long-term pattern. The Church of England’s teachings and attitudes have been diverging from the interests and values of ordinary people in Britain for many decades now."