United Kingdom: Christianity Quietly Resurrects

For decades, one idea has dominated people's minds: Christianity in England and Wales—and more specifically religious practice—was doomed to inexorable decline. Sociologists in the 1960s predicted an inevitable secularization, reinforced by the "new atheism" of the 2000s and confirmed by the results of the 2021 census, which revealed an apparent collapse of Christian identity.

However, an unexpected phenomenon has emerged in recent years, defying these dire prophecies. This phenomenon, dubbed "The Quiet Revival," is now supported by solid data from a large, representative study published in April 2025 by the Bible Society, in collaboration with the polling company YouGov, on the religious attitudes and behaviors of adults in England and Wales between 2018 and 2024.

Far from dying out, Christianity is expected to experience spectacular growth, driven primarily by young adults, particularly men. In 2018, only 8% of adults in England and Wales attended a church—Protestant or Catholic—at least once a month, or around 3.7 million people. Six years later, in 2024, this figure has jumped to 12%, now representing 5.8 million individuals—a 56% increase.

This growth is notable among young adults, particularly those aged 18 to 24. While in 2018, only 4% of them were regular churchgoers, this rate quadrupled to 16% in 2024, making this age group the second most likely to attend church, just behind those over 65 (19%).

The role of young men is particularly striking. Their attendance rate increased from 4% to 21%, surpassing that of women of the same age (12%), which also increased by 3%. This reversal of gender trends—where women historically dominated religious practice—marks a significant break with the past.

As a result, a third of the faithful are now aged 18 to 34, compared to only 14% in 2018, while the proportion of those over 55 has fallen from 61% to a much smaller share. 

Alongside this resurgent youth population, the study published by the Bible Society establishes a link between religious practice and ethnic groups with an immigrant background. While 19% of churchgoers overall belong to what the survey describes as an "ethnic minority," this figure rises to 32% among 18-54 year-olds, exceeding the national average of 18% according to the 2021 census.

Among 18-34 year-olds, nearly half of black people (47%) and a third of people of mixed origin (33%) attend church monthly. This diversity is not limited to minorities: white people, particularly men aged 18 to 34, have also seen their attendance increase from 3% to 18%. 

Thus—and the study does not state this but rather hints at it—the growth in religious practice can be explained, at least in part, by the very significant migration factor across the Channel. 

One last significant finding: the Protestant-Catholic ratio has also been shifting in favor of the Catholic Church for several years. Anglicans, who represented 41% of the faithful in 2018, will represent only 34% in 2024, while Catholics (31%, compared to 23%) and Pentecostals (10%, compared to 4%) are gaining ground. Among 18-34 year-olds, this trend is even more pronounced: only 20% are Anglicans, compared to 41% Catholics and 18% Pentecostals.

Here again, the figures reflect underlying trends already observed by FSSPX.News: the slow death of an Anglicanism mired in its contradictions; and the vigorous growth of evangelical movements that do not hesitate to "show their colors" in matters of faith and morality. 

It is unfortunate that, in such a situation, the Catholic Church is struggling to re-appropriate a strong and identifiable discourse, as well as a liturgical tradition capable of "re-enchanting" a world fundamentally dissatisfied by the dominant ideologies.