Faiths in Croydon
The last National Census in 2021 provided the latest statistics for faith distibution in Croydon compared to other boroughs and regions. One fact was apparent that in Croydon there was a greater variety of faith groups and worship styles year on year.
Faiths Together in Croydon (FTiC) exists to enable small emerging groups as well as large established groups to benefit from co-operation and discussions for the benefit of the larger community. So if this visit to our site is a first and your faith group are not yet involved or are new to the area, contact us we would love to include you in our events and activities.
Croydon and the 2021 Census
With a population just under 400,000, Croydon is the largest of the 32 London boroughs, with this comes a rich tapestry of different people, faith, and beliefs.
Compared to the census in 2011 there has been a 5.9% increase in those reporting “no religion”, however this is over 10% less than the 2021 national figure of 37.2% and Christianity with 48.9% of followers is higher than the national figure.
Groups that have seen no changes between the 2011 and 2021 census are the Buddhist and Jewish communities with a minimal fall in the Hindu community.
Croydon’s religious diversity means an enviable range of religious buildings, spaces for prayer and reflection including numerous churches, mosques, mandirs, temples and gurdwaras.
Religion in Croydon
In 2021, 25.9% of Croydon residents reported having “No religion”, up from 20.0% in 2011. The rise of 5.9 percentage points was the largest increase of all broad religious groups in Croydon. Because the census question about religious affiliation is voluntary and has varying response rates, caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses.
Across London, the percentage of residents who described themselves as having “No religion” increased from 21.0% to 27.1%, while across England the percentage increased from 24.8% to 36.7%.
In 2021, 48.9% of people in Croydon described themselves as Christian (down from 56.4%), while 10.4% described themselves as Muslim (up from 8.1% the decade before).
There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as a changing age structure or residents relocating for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals chose to self-identify between censuses. Religious affiliation is the religion with which someone connects or identifies, rather than their beliefs or religious practise.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/E09000008/