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Liverpool Echo

National

Richard Ault & Dan Haygarth

Areas in Merseyside with the most and least Christians

Merseyside England Religion Wales

Merseyside is home to the country’s areas with most Christians, with three in four people in several areas declaring themselves as followers of the religion.

Latest census data showed that Christianity is in decline in England and Wales, with the proportion of people identifying as Christian dropping below 50% for the first time. This decline was also seen in Merseyside.

A decade ago, 74.0% of the population of our area declared themselves Christian. However that shrunk to 59.8% in the 2021 census.

Despite that decline, Merseyside boasts the most Christian neighbourhoods in the country. In fact, nine of the top 10 and 22 of the top 30 neighbourhoods with the highest concentration of Christians in England and Wales are in Merseyside.

The Croxteth East neighbourhood in Liverpool has the highest proportion of Christians in the country (75.6%). It is followed by Sandfield Park & Holly Lodge in Liverpool (75.5%), and then Huyton West & Roby in Knowsley (75.2%).

Meanwhile, residents of Seacombe in Wirral are least likely to worship any God, with 48.4% saying they had no religion. That is followed by Central & Islington in Liverpool (48.2%), and then Egremont in Wirral (47.0%).

The data also shows that 2.4% of the population of Merseyside identify as Muslim, 0.2% as Jewish, 0.1% as Sikh, 0.5% as Hindu, and 0.3% as Buddhist. Across all of England and Wales, 46.2% of the population described themselves as Christian, down from 59.3% a decade earlier, the ONS said.

At the same time, the proportion of people nationwide saying they had no religion jumped from around a quarter in 2011 (25.2%) to over a third in 2021 (37.2%). The Archbishop of York said the census data showed the country had “left behind the era when many people almost automatically identified as Christian”.

The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell said: “The Christian church exists to share the good news of Jesus Christ, serve our neighbour and bring hope to a troubled world. That’s what we’ve done for 2,000 years, in times of war and peace; hardship and plenty; revival and decline and it’s what we must do now more than ever.

“It’s not a great surprise that the census shows fewer people in this country identifying as Christian than in the past, but it still throws down a challenge to us not only to trust that God will build his kingdom on Earth but also to play our part in making Christ known.

“We have left behind the era when many people almost automatically identified as Christian but other surveys consistently show how the same people still seek spiritual truth and wisdom and a set of values to live by.

“This winter – perhaps more so than for a long time – people right across the country, some in desperate need, will be turning to their local church, not only for spiritual hope but practical help. We will be there for them, in many cases, providing food and warmth. And at Christmas millions of people will still come to our services.”

The latest census data shows that while Croxteth East is the most Christian neighbourhood, Hanover in Brighton and Hove was the least religious area in England and Wales, with 68.1% of the population saying they had no religion.

But there were also increases in the proportion of people describing themselves as Muslim (up from 4.9% to 6.5%) and as Hindu (from 1.5% to 1.7%). The religion question was voluntary on the 2021 census but was answered by 94.0% of the overall population of England and Wales, up from 92.9% in 2011.

Merseyside neighbourhoods with the highest proportion of Christians