QuantumPhoenix.net

The National Census in Uk took place on 27th March 2011.

The data is being released in stages by the Office for National Statistics http://www.ons.gov.uk.

Pagan organisations made a concerted effort to campaign among pagan communities, asking them to register themselves in the religion category as `pagan – xxxxxx’  where the individual can state their particular path as a sub-category of `pagan’ so that a clear number can be gleamed.

Well, the xls sheet that gives religion data does not yet give this details..  So pagans will have to hold their breath a little longer.

But here’s the religion data that has been released.. (xls sheet available for download freely from ONS website). here’s the link

This is for the WHOLE of England & Wales

Christian       33,243,175       (1)

Buddhist         247,743       (6)

Hindu               816,633       (3)

Jewish              263,346      (5)

Muslim               2,706,066       (2)

Sikh                       423,158       (4)

Other Religions      240,530       (7)

No religion      14,097,229

Religion not stated   4,038,032

Now assuming all the pagans did state their religion, as either `Pagan’  or `Pagan-Druid, Pagan-Wiccan’ etc..  or just as `pagan’, `Druid’, `shaman’ etc..  it all will be within the `Other Religions..  240,530.

The above table shows that Christianity has the largest declared numbers, followed by Muslims – second largst, then Hindu (3rd place), then Sikh (4th place), then Jewish (5th), Buddhist (6th place)..   Other Religions (there could be hundreds!) currently occupy 7th place..

here’s a screen capture of the interactive map that shows the percentage of people in areas ..for the `any other religions’ category…as it was in 2001 Census and the current 2011 Census UK.   (darker the blue, more numbers!)

We’ll wait and see what the `Pagan-xxx’ category will show up ..when the full data is released.

-Mani Navasothy