Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Religious Britons ‘significantly happier’ than atheists: study

Religious Britons ‘significantly happier’ than atheists: study

RELIGIOUS Britons are “significantly happier” than atheists and non-religious people, new research has revealed.

People for whom religion is an important part of their identity “are also more optimistic and more resilient than atheists and non-religious people,” the study commissioned by the research forum Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) showed.


There was a statistical association between religious background having less importance in one’s personal identity and a lower likelihood of reporting positive mental health outcomes, it found.

Among those who reported that their religious background was important to their personal identity, 73 per cent said that their psychological well-being was in generally good condition over the three months leading up to the survey. This dropped to 55 per cent for those who said their religious background was unimportant to their personal identity.

A little more than 2,000 people participated in the UK-wide survey, conducted by TechneUK between September 29 and October 8.

Some 70 per cent of the respondents who identified themselves as Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist said their psychological well-being was in good shape, compared to 49 per cent of atheists.

Three quarters (76 per cent) of people who attached importance to their religious background for their personal identity reported they were happy. This dropped by 18 percentage points for those who said that their religious background was unimportant.

According to England & Wales Census 2021, 46.2 per cent of the population identified themselves as Christian, a sharp drop from 71.7 per cent in 2001. Some 6.5 per cent of residents or 3.9 million people said they were Muslim, up from 4.9 per cent or 2.7 million people in 2011. The number of Hindus hit the one million mark, representing 1.7 per cent of the population as per the most recent census. England and Wales are home to 524,000 Sikhs, 273,000 Buddhists and 271,000 Jews.

The IIFL research suggested that religiosity and spirituality could have a positive impact on mental health and psychological well-being.

The evidence pointed towards the possibility of attending religious services providing "an organic sense of belonging and rootedness which are foundational to positive forms of mental health and psychological well-being," it said.

"The value of community spirit and civic-mindedness in this context should not only be underestimated – it should be further explored in terms of producing practical and sustainable solutions which are designed to combat loneliness and social isolation in modern Britain".

Senior research associate Rakib Ehsan who authored the report, said, “Britain is a curious mix of being a society that has become more secular but also more religiously diverse. While the fast-paced secularisation of the British mainstream has been cited as a form of social progress, this appears not to be the case from the perspective of mental health.

“Compared to non-believers, religious Britons are more likely to report good psychological well-being, satisfaction with life, and optimism over their personal future. They are also more likely to say they are confident with handling the challenges that come with life.

“While it may be considered unfashionable and outdated, the sense of belonging and purpose that can be provided through religious and spiritual forms of attachment and membership should be better explored by policymakers and practitioners in the sphere of mental health.”

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less