Religious Geography
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
Cyprus
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
6. Russia
7. Spain
8. Sweden
9. Switzerland
10. United Kingdom
Cyprus
Two religiously homogeneous regions
In 1960 the Republic of Cyprus was constituted as an independent state, albeit under the protection of
its former colonial power Great Britain, and Greece and Turkey, these two states representing the
motherlands of the island’s two main ethno-confessional groups (Greek Cypriots and Turkish
Cypriots) (for details, see this website’s history section). Greek Cypriots constituted 74% of the
population and Turkish Cypriots 18%. Maronite Christians, Armenians and Roman Catholics were the
rest of the minority groups. Greek and Turkish Cypriots were dispersed throughout the island. The
republic’s political life was tumultuous, with inter-communal violence between the Greek Cypriot
majority and the Turkish Cypriot minority erupting in 1963-64. Subsequently, UN forces came to the
island; the Turkish Cypriots remained barricaded into various ethnic enclaves.
After 1963, the Turkish Cypriot minority representatives no longer participated in the government and
the two communities embarked into a series of inter-communal negotiations in order to resolve the
situation. However, in 1974, Greek Cypriot ultra-nationalists – with the support of Greece’s military
dictatorship (1967-74) and the Greek military regiment present in Cyprus – succeeded in overthrowing
the Republic’s elected President Archbishop Makarios. Fearful that the new regime would attempt to
unite Cyprus with Greece, Turkey used the clauses of the 1960 agreements to militarily intervene and
in two successive rounds of military actions it occupied some 38% of the island. On this occasion,
major population movements took place: Turkish Cypriots fled North (in the areas under Turkish
military control) while Greek Cypriots fled South (in the areas outside of Turkish military control).
The end result of the invasion was to “ethnically cleanse” a previously ethnically and religious
heterogeneous island.
Two religiously homogeneous regions – the North and the South – were subsequently constructed. In
the South, the Republic of Cyprus kept the Greek Cypriot population: it is overwhelmingly Eastern
Orthodox (see the religious statistics reported in this web site). It remains to this day the only
internationally recognized state on the island (and an EU member since 2004). The North became the
de facto homeland of Turkish Cypriots and numerous Turkish immigrants. It was unilaterally declared
in 1983 as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) but this has not been internationally
recognized (except by Turkey).
The TRNC’s population is overwhelmingly Muslim.
The information provided on this website concerns the post-1974 Republic of Cyprus, which is the
internationally recognized state on the island.
Victor Roudometof
2.
France
Regional disparities: the heritage of the past
In 1990, Louis Chauvel used the European Survey on Values to show that France is a regionally
diversified country, especially as far as religion is concerned. This conclusion is confirmed and
illustrated by a study on the establishment of religions in France carried out in December 2006 by the
IFOP. Data was obtained from 91 surveys which were conducted between 2003 and 2006 on a sample
of 1,000 people in France chosen according to the quota method.
This geographic diversity of religions is mostly due to history. It is observable that the regions which
are presently less practicing are those which followed the French Revolutionary movement, and where
priest swore oath to the Law of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy in 1790. Furthermore,
Catholicism, which has always been predominant in France, is presently the only denomination found
in all the departments.
On this topic, consult: Louis CHAUVEL, "Clivages politiques, culturels et religieux dans les régions
européennes", in Pierre Bréchon, Bruno Cautrès (dir.), Les enquêtes Eurobaromètres. Analyse comparée des
données socio-politiques (Logiques politiques), L’Harmattan, 1998.
Anne-Laure Zwilling
The geographic establishment of Catholicism
The Catholics population varies, though, from region to region. According to the IFOP study on
establishment of religions in France, the Catholic Church remains predominant in the East of the
country, mostly in Moselle which has a total of 81% of Catholics, the Vosges, Meuse and HauteSaône. On the other hand, the West of France is diversified. The Catholics have a strong presence in
the most rural departments like Manche, Mayenne, Deux-Sèvres, Maine-et-Loire, and Vendée.
However, it has a less strong presence in the most western urban departments like Ille-et-Vilaine and
Loire Atlantique. Morbihan remains predominantly Catholic and Côtes-d’Amour is being
dechristianised while Finistère takes the intermediate position.
The Massif-Central, a region which was traditionally very Catholic (Haute-Loire, Cantal and Lozère),
remains Catholic even though the numbers have slightly gone down. The predominantly Catholic zone
now goes all the way from the Eastern region to Corrèze. However, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Aveyron,
Rhône-Alpes and other regions which were traditionally Catholic are now just above the national
average.
Nord-Pas-de-Calais, the industrial region, remains Catholic. On the other hand, the Catholic presence
is clearly below the average in regions such as Limousin, Dordogne, Ariège and Vallée du Rhône.
Anne-Laure Zwilling
Religious minorities grouped together geographically
Protestantism comprises 2.1% of the French population and is much felt in regions such as Alsace,
Lorraine and Franche-Comté. According to the IFOP survey of 2006, these regions represent 8.8% of
the national population and more than 28% of the protestant population. Protestants are very few in the
western and northern regions of the country, especially in Bretagne, Maine, Centre, Bourgogne and
Savoie.
The Reformed Churches are well rooted in their historic regions, especially in Bas-Rhin, Territory of
Belfort, Drôme, Lot, Gard and Ariège even though Evangelic Churches are emerging in Bretagne and
Nord. Almost 15% of Protestants are situated in the Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes regions. They are also
present in Ile-de-France and haute-Normandie.
The protestant map of presence confirms, even today, the establishment of what was called the
"protestant crescent" stretching from La Rochelle to Drôme including peripheral regions like Ardèche,
Haute-Loire, Gard cévenol, Hérault, Lot, Deux-Sèvres and Ariège. From this survey, among others,
the IFOP draws a conclusion that the sociological and geographical differences between Protestants
and Catholics are slowly disappearing.
According to the same IFOP study on establishment of religions in France in France conducted in
2006, there is a high concentration of people who claim to belong to Judaism and Islam in the most
urbanised areas. These two religions also have a very low representation in rural areas like Massif
Central, Poitou-Charentes, Centre and Champagne-Ardenne. Concerning Islam, this information is
confirmed by the 2009 IFOP study, implantation and evolution of Islam in France.
Almost half of the Jews, representing 0.6% of the population, live in the Parisian region. There is also
a large community living in Strasbourg. The rest of their population settles mostly in the south of
France where big cities like Marseille, Nice, Lyon and Toulouse are home to large communities of
Jews. The Jews living in these cities are mostly Sephardic while those living in Alsace and Moselle are
Ashkenazic. The Atlantic coastal regions going from Gironde up to Bretagne rank the last as their
Jewish population reaches just above the national average. This is undoubtedly due to retired people
settling in the coastal towns.
Islam represents 3% of the population and has a strong presence in the regions of Paris, Lyon and
Bouches-du-Rhône. It is also present in numerous small towns except in the west of France. This
strong presence is due to the migration of North African Arabs who settled in Nord and Haut-Rhin to
work in the Peugeot car factories. They are also found in Val-d’Oise which has a Muslim population
of 14.3%, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne and the department of Loire where they work the firms.
Furthermore, they are rooted in the Parisian Bassin and in regions like Somme, Oise, Seine-Maritime,
Eure-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher. The Mediterranean coast, which is geographically close to North
Africa, has also accommodated a massive amount of Arab immigrants thus, the reason why Islam is
highly represented in regions such as Hérault, Gard and even more in Bouche-du-Rhône. And once
again, immigration is responsible for a high concentration of the Muslim population in border zones,
big urban areas and their suburban zones and former industrial and mining areas. In France, the
establishment of Islam is well defined. It follows a line from Le Havre, through Valence, going all the
way to Perpignan. Muslims are mostly present in the east of this region.
See the 2009 IFOP study, implantation and evolution of Islam in France.
A map of the geographical localisation of places of worship of Evangelical and Muslim denominations
in France has been established by the journal La Croix in 2006.
Anne-Laure Zwilling
Atheism in France
According to the same study on the establishment of religions in France, 27.6% of the French
population does not feel close to any religion.
This is obviously due the decline of Christianity in modern society. The a strong presence of left-wing
political movements, especially the communist party can also be related to a strong presence of people
who claim to have no religious affiliation. The western part of the Massif Central (Limousin,
Dordogne and Lot, Centre), Champagne-Ardenne, Oise and Côtes d’Armor are presently experiencing
a decline with regard to religion. Ile-de-France and Midi have the same fate as they were traditionally
a stronghold of the communist party.
It has also been observed that there is a relationship between urbanisation and religious decline
especially in Loire-Atlantique, Ille-et-Vilaine, Rhône, aso. The fall is mostly noticeable in Val de
Marne where only 47% of people declare being close to Catholicism.
The east of France, which comprises Franche-Comté, Alsace and Lorraine, remains stable and is
presently the region where religion still has a strong presence.
Anne-Laure Zwilling
A particular case: Alsace-Moselle
In Alsace-Moselle, religious affiliations differ noticeably from the rest of the country due to a
particular history of this region (see the historical background). The IFOP study on the establishment
of religions in France revealed that this region is presently the most religious in France. A majority of
people are Catholic even though there are many Protestants and Jews. The Muslims community in this
region originates, mostly, from Turkey.
The Catholic Church is predominant in Alsace-Moselle with about 1,900,000 members, which
represents 75% of the regional population. The diocese of Alsace is the biggest in France, comprising
5 pastoral regions, 14 pastoral zones and 66 pastoral sectors. The number of parishes is estimated at
767 while vicar foranes are estimated at 67. On 1st October 1998, the number of priests in the diocese
was estimated at 674. There were 137 religious brothers, 1,990 religious sisters and 47 permanent
deacons.
Since 2006, the Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace-Lorraine (Union des Eglises Protestantes
d’Alsace Lorraine, UEPAL) comprises the Protestant Church of Augsburg Confession in AlsaceLorraine (EPCAAL, Lutheran) and the Reformed Protestant Church of Alsace-Lorraine. In order to
know the approximate number of its members, the UEPAL depends on the numbers provided by the
pastors. Their criteria for defining a parishioner may vary from the person who came once for a
funeral service to a committed Presbyterian councillor. Furthermore, each church has its own special
system of financial contributions. The EPCAAL defines a standard scale to be paid by each member of
the church. The EPRAL shares its expenditure according to the financial means of its parishes. Some
parishes are able to contribute large sums of money despite the relatively small number of its members
and vice versa. It is, therefore, possible that during their evaluation, the reformed parishes magnify
numbers with the aim of exalting their own parish. On the other hand, the Lutheran parishes may be
less enthusiastic in this area as they would not want to see the scale rise.
The Parish electoral list is neither a reliable indication of membership as registration is voluntary. A
dispute may cause enlargement of the electoral list. However, some regular members may be
uninterested in voting as there are often as many posts as the candidates.
Practices and social fabric also vary greatly. For example, there is a difference between the less vibrant
Protestantism in rural Moselle, and the dynamic urban community in Strasbourg. It is, therefore, hard
to come up with the exact number of Protestants in Alsace as there is no precise membership indicator.
The EPAL has an approximate number of 430 pastors, 210,000 Lutheran members and 30,000
reformed members. It prefers, therefore, to estimate the number of the members of the Lutheran and
Reformed Churches to 300,000 people.
The Jewish religion in Alsace-Moselle, which is mostly practiced by the Ashkenazics, expanded due
to the Sephardic community which joined it during the expatriation of the French who were then living
in Algeria. Presently, there is no reliable reference that can give the exact Jewish members of the three
consistories. The registry of the communities gives a few indications. However, there are orthodox or
liberal groups living on the fringe of traditional communities. The population is, therefore, estimated
at 20,000 members and it is on a falling trend.
The information has been provided by public relations office of the UEPAL, Protestant Churches of
Alsace-Lorraine and the Jewish Consistory of the Bas-Rhin in August 2006 and the Diocese of
Strasbourg in March 2007.
Anne-Laure Zwilling
3.
Germany
Two major axes
Germany’s religious geography is characterised by a North – South axis representing the Catholic –
Protestant schism, and an East-West axis, which today, is a function of religious belonging.
The North – South axis: a Catholic - Protestant schism
16th century Reformation (and especially the Lutheran version) brought about the practice of two
religions, a situation which today characterises the religious landscape in Germany. The cuius regio
eius religio principle, created during the Peace of Ausburg (1555), ensured that Princes had the liberty
to choose the religion (Lutheran or Catholic) of their territories. It also guaranteed the right of subjects
to emigrate. This gave rise to the prevalence of Protestants in the North and Roman Catholics in the
South of the German Empire.
German Catholics exist in very small percentage in the dioceses north of the country. The archdiocese
of Hamburg for example, which comprises only 7% of the population of the Hamburg, SchleswigHolstein and part of Mecklenburg-Pomerania Länder, is characterised by a severe minority. The
Länder with the highest percentage of Catholics are found in the West and South regions – Bavaria,
Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and North Rhine-Westphalia.
The percentage of Protestants in the different regional Churches (Landeskirchen) also varies. In the
traditionally protestant regions of the former Länder, (Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein), they
represent up to 55%. In the regions with a high percentage of Catholics, (Bavaria, RhinelandPalatinate), they remain under 30%.
The East – West axis: indicating the depth of religious belonging
While Churches in West Germany gained a foothold right at the time the State was being founded, in
East Germany they have had to suffer governmental control. In 1950 and 1960, Christian believers
were in particular victims of prejudice in their professional lives.
Today, 74% of East Germans do not practice any religion. The lack of religion for half of this number
is a "family heritage". In West Germany, those without religion are a mere 16%, with three quarters
being first generation non-adherents. In the new Länder, not practicing a religion is evidence of a
certain social conformism. In the West however, being non religious shows a desire to be free from
this conformism. In this case, tradition and conformism represent the basis for religious practice. The
growing number of non-adherents reduces the support function of Christian Churches. They can
therefore no longer play their roles of social and cultural integration in the affected regions. In the long
run, this development will have considerable political consequences, leading to the re-negotiation of
the relationship between the Church and the State. An instance is the introduction of the
"Lebensgestaltung-Ethik-Religionskunde" (LER) (Life, Ethics and Religion training programme) in
Brandenburg.
Declining religious belief in the City-States
Apart from the East– West schism, a distinct decline in importance of faith in the City-States
(Stadtstaaten) also characterises the religious landscape in Germany. While in Saarland 85.4% of the
population belong to the two principal Churches in 2003, the rate is only 43% in Hamburg and 32% in
Berlin. Moreover, the number of people leaving church is at its highest in the City-States. As people in
these areas feel less of the need to toe the line as it concerns their parents’ religion or attachment to a
place, leaving the church is easier. However, leaving church is also no longer a taboo in the rural
areas.
For further reading: EBERTZ, Michael N., Erosion der Gnadenanstalt? Zum Wandel der Sozialgestalt
von Kirche. Frankfurt/Main: Verlag Josef Knecht, 1998, in particular p. 69-117.
Matthias Koenig
-
Sabine Trittler
4.
Ireland
A majority Catholic population in all parts of the country
Ireland is a small country but geographical distinctions are often made between the four historic
provinces. These are Leinster in the east of the country, Munster in the south, Connaught in the west
and Ulster in the north. Since the partition of Ireland only three of the nine Ulster counties now lie in
the Republic of Ireland. The province of Leinster includes Dublin county and city.
Catholics form the overwhelming majority in all parts of the country. Protestants are the largest
religious minority. The percentage of the regional population accounted for by Protestants and the
absolute number of Protestants in each region varies considerably. This still largely reflects the
historical pattern although it may change with continued immigration.
Dublin has a relatively large Protestant population and about a third of all Irish Protestants live there.
However, as the Catholic population in this region is over one million, only about three percent of the
Dublin population is Protestant. The whole province of Leinster accounts for over half of all Irish
Protestants. In terms of absolute numbers about a fifth of all Irish Protestants live in the three Ulster
counties. The Ulster counties are distinctive in the following ways. The inhabitants are predominantly
rural, and the counties border Northern Ireland. Protestants here form a larger local minority than do
Protestants elsewhere in the state and about half of these Protestants are Presbyterians. Protestants in
Munster are concentrated in Cork while there are very few Protestants in Connaught.
Richard O’Leary
5.
Italy
Regional particularities
Christians have absolute majority in several regions of Italy – they are more than two-thirds in Latium
(with 32.1% Catholics and 26.5% Orthodox) and Friuli-Venezia Giulia and are in majority in Liguria
(with 38.6% of Catholics), Trentino-South Tyrol, Umbria, Abruzzo, Campania and Molise. What is
also remarkable is the significant number of Protestants in Sardinia (8.9%), of American and German
origin especially.
Muslims make up 49% of foreigners in Valle d’Aosta and 40% in Apulia. More typically, they
comprise 42.3% of foreigners in the Islands, 36.9% in the North, 31.8% in the South and only 24.1%
in the Centre of Italy.
Source : Cesnur and Dossier Caritas on migrants.
Alessandra Marchi
6.
Russia
Orthodox, Muslims and Buddhists
Orthodox congregations are present in all regions of Russia, the number of Muslims is more
significant in certain regions such as the Caucasus, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. Buddhism is the
traditional religion in three regions: Kalmykia, Tuva, Buryatia.
For more information, see the interactive map of religions in Russia
7.
Spain
Judaism
The Jewish community in Spain is concentrated in the larger cities like Madrid, Barcelona or Seville
and in the regions along the Mediterranean coast like the Spanish Levant (Alicante and Valencia) or
the Costa del Sol of Andalusia (Malaga, Marbell and Torremolinos). The communities of Ceuta and
Melilla made up of Sephardic families from Morocco and Algeria should also be mentioned.
The Spanish Jewish community experienced a growth in its numbers during the 20th century, first,
with the arrival of families from Western Europe who were fleeing from their countries during the
First and Second World Wars. The end of the Spanish protectorate in Morocco in 1956 also brought
on the voluntary exile of many Jews to cities like Ceuta, Melilla and Malaga.
More recently, the community was enriched with people from Latin America as a result of the
economic and political crises that that part of the world is experiencing.
Irene González González
Protestantism
The Protestant community in Spain has over 2, 000 local congregations and various religious, cultural
and charitable institutions throughout the country. The representative organ of the Evangelical
Community is the Federación de Entidades Religiosas Evangélicas de España (FEREDE),
(Federation of the Evangelical Religious Groups of Spain), made up of 11 independent councils
located in the following Autonomous Communities: Andalusia, Aragon, the Principality of Asturias,
the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia, Valencia, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid and the Basque
Country. The Autonomous Communities with the most Evangelical Protestants are Catalonia, Madrid,
Galicia, Valencia and Andalusia. According to figures provided by the FEREDE, the highest
Protestant population densities in rural areas are in the provinces of Jaen, Pontevedra and Valencia.
Irene González González
Islam
In Spain, Islam is represented, in both of its components, throughout the country. However,
naturalised Islam is highest in the provinces of Andalusia where it has historical roots, Cordoba,
Granada and Seville, and in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, where Moroccan Muslims settled between
1960 and 1970, and through the Ley de Extranjería en España promulgated in 1985, they obtained
Spanish citizenship.
Immigrant Islam is higher in the regions of Catalonia, Madrid and Andalusia where the first Muslim
immigrant communities settled in the 80s.
The highest Muslim population densities are located, in decreasing order, in the provinces of
Barcelona, Madrid, Murcia, Almeria, Gerona, Tarragona, Alicante and Malaga.
Irene González González
Immigrant Islam, numbers according to province
51774 13,66
Cuenca
1309
0,34
Almería
18274 4,82
Guadalajara
2123
0,56
Cádiz
4531
1,19
Toledo
5607
1,47
Córdoba
1514
0,39
Cataluña
128686 33,95
Granada
4609
1,21
Barcelona
85476 22,55
Huelva
3097
0,81
Gerona
21461 5,66
Jaén
2466
0,65
Lleida
6405
15344 4,04
Andalucía
1,69
Málaga
13342 3,52
Tarragona
Sevilla
3941
1,03
Comunidad Valenciana
30078 7,93
Aragón
7025
1,85
Alicante
13936 3,67
Huesca
1299
0,34
Castellón de la Plana
7276
1,91
Teruel
1344
0,35
Valencia
8866
2,33
8371
2,2
Zaragoza
4382
1,15
Extremadura
Asturias (Principado de)
665
0,17
Badajoz
1345
0,35
Baleares (Islas)
12650 3,33
Cáceres
7026
1,85
Canarias
11811 3,11
Galicia
2389
0,63
Palmas (Las)
9669
2,55
Coruña (A)
813
0,21
302
0,07
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
2142
0,56
Lugo
Cantabria
723
0,19
Ourense
338
0,08
Castilla y León
4585
1,2
Pontevedra
936
0,24
Ávila
243
0,06
Madrid (Comunidad de)
56137 14,81
Burgos
862
0,22
Murcia (Región de)
31133 8,21
1,07
León
564
0,14
Navarra (Comunidad Foral de) 4058
Palencia
248
0,06
País Vasco
4481
1,18
Salamanca
578
0,15
Álava
1340
0,35
Segovia
900
0,23
Guipúzcoa
1431
0,37
Soria
420
0,11
Vizcaya
1710
0,45
3741
0,98
Valladolid
628
0,16
Rioja (La)
Zamora
142
0,03
Ceuta
2647
0,69
Castilla-La Mancha
12168 3,21
Melilla
5857
1,54
Albacete
1450
0,38
Total
378979 100
Ciudad Real
1679
0,44
Source: Padrón 2003, Instituto Nacional de Estadística.
8.
Sweden
Rural implantation of the Church of Sweden
As for the Church of Sweden, the membership scores are higher in the rural areas than in the big cities.
So is the fact also for the Swedish Mission Convenant Church, the Pentecostal Movement, and other
"ancient" Swedish religious communities. The Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox churches, and
the Muslim communities have in fact only members in the bigger towns and cities. These religious
communities contain mostly immigrants and their families.
There are no significant differences between the geographical parts of Sweden.
Lars Friedner
9.
Switzerland
A new dividing line
In this day and age in Switzerland it is obvious that religious frontiers have and are still continuing to
change. Boundaries are moving, not only because people’s sentiment of belonging to a Christian
community has dropped, but also due to the increased importance that non traditional religions have
acquired. Not to mention, of course, the increased number of mixed marriages.
When observing the current religious landscape in Switzerland, it can be noticed that there is no longer
a Church or religious community that clearly dominates the urban area from Lake Geneva, through the
Arch of the Jura Mountains, along Lake Constance, until the St. Gall valley of the Rhine. The
Protestant Church has only remained predominant in the canton of Berne and in certain municipalities
in the cantons of Grischun and Schaffhouse. As for Roman Catholics, they are still predominant in the
cantons of Freiberg, Jura, Wallis, Ticino, Appenzell Inner Rhodes and in central Switzerland.
In fact, a new dividing line as regards religious beliefs has developed in Switzerland. Indeed, Frenchspeaking Switzerland has, on the one hand, a greater number of people who no longer feel they belong
to a Church or religious community and, on the other hand, a small proportion of followers of new
religious groups. The latter are, however, particularly well established in the Northwest and Northeast
of the country, following the arrival of immigrating populations. In the region of Basle, generally
thought of as a buffer zone, these two tendencies coexist. It should also be noted that Evangelists live
primarily in cantons that are traditionally Protestant and that Jewish communities are mostly grouped
together in Switzerland’s major cities.
Joëlle Sanchez - Jörg Stolz
10.
United Kingdom
Broad patterns
The major distinction to be made in the UK is between Great Britain (now comparatively secular) and
Northern Ireland (where religious commitment remains high). There are also important differences
between the constituent countries of Great Britain, as noted above: the predominant branch of
Christianity is Anglican in England, Presbyterian in Scotland, and Nonconformist in Wales. Within
each of these territories, however, the differences are modest.
The Catholic church is particularly strong in areas that received the largest number of Irish immigrants
in the 19th and 20th centuries, e.g. around Liverpool and Glasgow. Some parts of the country (for
example the southwest of England) have traditionally been areas of Methodist concentration, though
that denomination is fading rapidly. The free presbyterian churches (that separated from the Church of
Scotland) are especially important in the highlands and islands of Scotland.
Most immigrants from the former colonies live in the major urban areas such as Greater London, the
West Midlands (around Birmingham), Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire (around Leeds). The
non-Christian religious groups are therefore concentrated almost entirely in cities, as are blackmajority churches. In general, however, there is less religious participation in cities than in suburbs
and rural areas.
Involvement in the Church of England in particular is noticeably higher (as measured by baptisms or
church attendance relative to population) in rural than in urban areas. Middle class suburbs also show
relatively high levels of participation, particularly for festivals such as Christmas. In Scotland, both
religious identification and church attendance are lower in the east than in the west.
The major distinction to be made in the UK is between Great Britain (now comparatively secular) and
Northern Ireland (where religious commitment remains high). There are also important differences
between the constituent countries of Great Britain, as noted above: the predominant branch of
Christianity is Anglican in England, Presbyterian in Scotland, and Nonconformist in Wales. Within
each of these territories, however, the differences are modest.
The Catholic church is particularly strong in areas that received the largest number of Irish immigrants
in the 19th and 20th centuries, e.g. around Liverpool and Glasgow. Some parts of the country (for
example the southwest of England) have traditionally been areas of Methodist concentration, though
that denomination is fading rapidly. The free presbyterian churches (that separated from the Church of
Scotland) are especially important in the highlands and islands of Scotland.
Most immigrants from the former colonies live in the major urban areas such as Greater London, the
West Midlands (around Birmingham), Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire (around Leeds). The
non-Christian religious groups are therefore concentrated almost entirely in cities, as are blackmajority churches. In general, however, there is less religious participation in cities than in suburbs
and rural areas.
Involvement in the Church of England in particular is noticeably higher (as measured by baptisms or
church attendance relative to population) in rural than in urban areas. Middle class suburbs also show
relatively high levels of participation, particularly for festivals such as Christmas. In Scotland, both
religious identification and church attendance are lower in the east than in the west.
David Voas
Muslims
The Muslim population of Britain is concentrated in the major urban areas, particularly in London
(38% of the total), Leicester, and the northwest (Greater Manchester and Blackburn). Within these
cities the Muslim population is typically concentrated in particular areas. In London, where Muslims
contribute 8% of the population, they are found particularly in the north and east. The east London
boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham have very large Muslim minorities (36% and 24%
respectively).
In Scotland, Muslims are found mainly near Glasgow in East Renfrewshire (especially in the ward of
Pollokshields East, where they are 40% of the population).
David Voas
Hindus
The majority (52%) of Hindus in Britain live in London. In the northwest London boroughs of Brent
and Harrow they contribute about a fifth of the population. Significant concentrations of Hindus are
also found in parts of the East and West Midlands, particularly in Leicester.
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Sikhs
The Sikh population is mainly located in and around London and the West Midlands. In the London
area Sikhs are found particularly in the western boroughs of Ealing and Hounslow and in the nearby
town of Slough, though there is also a substantial population to the southeast in Gravesham, Kent.
Close to a third of Sikhs in Britain live in the West Midlands, particularly Wolverhampton and
Sandwell.
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Jews
Approximately two thirds of British Jews live in or near London, with concentrations in various
sections of the northwest and northeast metropolitan area. About 15% of the population in the London
Borough of Barnet is Jewish. There are also substantial Jewish communities in Greater Manchester
(especially Bury), Leeds, and near Glasgow (East Renfrewshire).
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Northern Ireland
People who identify themselves as being of Protestant heritage comprise 56% of the population in
Northern Ireland. Those with a Catholic background make up 41%; the gap has been narrowing in
recent years.
In Belfast, the capital, the two groups are of approximately equal size. Most districts in the province
have a clear Protestant or Catholic majority, however. Protestants (and especially Presbyterians) are
especially strong in the areas around Belfast and in the east. Catholics are particularly numerous in the
west and south of Northern Ireland, where they contribute about two-thirds of the population.
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