NEW data and statistics part of the UK Census 2021 have been released today (Tuesday, November 29).

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) issued information about people’s ethnic groups, national identity, language, and religion in England and Wales.

More specifically, the data released today shows:

• How ethnically diverse different areas are
• The percentages of people who reported having "No religion"
• Which areas have the highest percentages of UK armed forces veterans

On a national level, today's figures show the proportion of people in England and Wales identifying as Christian has fallen below 50 per cent for the first time, according to census data.

Some 46.2 per cent of the population described themselves as Christian on the day of the 2021 census, down from 59.3 per cent a decade earlier, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

This is the first time the proportion has dropped below half.

The percentage of people saying they had no religion jumped from around a quarter in 2011 (25.2 per cent) to over a third in 2021 (37.2 per cent).

This was the second most common response and the number ticking this box has almost trebled since 2001.

The South-West of England is the least religiously diverse region, with 3.2 per cent selecting a religion other than Christian.

The following interactive ONS maps, which allow you to choose different entries, show what the latest data means in detail for South Somerset.

96.6 per cent of people in South Somerset identified as white, 52.2 per cent identified as Christians, and 5.7 per cent said they previously served in the UK armed forces.

Here are the maps with all the entries.

The ethnic group a person identifies with
 



The religion people connect or identify with

 



People who have served in the UK armed forces

 



More data and information will be released before the end of the year (December 6, Welsh language skills, and December 8, Labour market and travel to work).

Other topics will be covered in 2023 when the ONS will release data about Housing, Sexual orientation and gender identity, Education, and Health disability, and unpaid care.

For more information visit the ONS website here.