FOI REF: FOI-2023-1268
You asked
I am interested in the 2021 Census and would like to request the 'Any other religion, write in' results, breaking down England and Wales separately. Specifically I would like to know the totals for England and for Wales who wrote Agnostic (32,000), Atheist (14,000) and Humanist (10,000), but split up into how many in England and how many in Wales.
We said
Thank you for your request.
The information you have requested is available on our website via the following link: Census 2021: Religion (detailed).
Census 2021 data shows that in England:
30,352 identified as Agnostic
13,059 identified as Atheist
9,579 identified as Humanist
In Wales the figures were:
1,762 identified as Agnostic
792 identified as Atheist
667 identified as Humanist
These data were taken from responses to the “What is your religion?” question on the 2021 Census of England and Wales.
These counts should be considered within the following context:
The religion question was voluntary.
It aims to collect information on religious affiliation regardless of practise or belief.
There was a tick box for “No religion” - some people who identify as Humanist, Atheist or Agnostic may have ticked this box without specifying how they identify through the write-in answer option so would not be included in these totals.
The write-in option was specified as “Any other religion, write in” this may have deterred some respondents from writing in Humanist, Agnostic or Atheist if they did not consider these to be religions.