Analysis of Ethnicity in the 2001 Census - Summary Report

The report presents results across the main policy areas covered in the Census analysed by ethnic group


Analysis of Ethnicity in the 2001 Census - Summary Report

6. RELIGION

Current religion

Table 6.1: Scottish population by current religion - All People

Thousands

Percentages

Church of Scotland

2,146

42.4

Roman Catholic

804

15.9

Other Christian

345

6.8

Buddhist

6.8

0.13

Hindu

5.6

0.11

Jewish

6.4

0.13

Muslim

43

0.84

Sikh

6.6

0.13

Another Religion

27

0.53

All Religions

3,389

67

No religion

1,394

27.5

Not stated

278

5.5

All no religion/not stated

1,672

33

Base

5,062

100

  • Just over two-thirds (67%) of the Scottish population reported having a religion.
  • The most common faith was Christianity: 65.1% of the population are members of the Church of Scotland, Roman Catholic Church or Other Christian churches.
  • The next most common faith was Islam (0.84%) followed by Other religions (0.53%), Buddhism (0.13%), Jewish (0.13%), Sikhism (0.13%) and Hinduism (0.11%).
  • The Census religion question was voluntary, but nevertheless only 5.5% chose not to answer it.

Table 6.2: Current religion by ethnic group - All People
Percentages

Ethnic Group

Church of Scotland

Roman Catholic

Other Christian

Buddhist

Hindu

Jewish

Muslim

Sikh

Another religion

No religion

Not stated

Base

White Scottish

46.7

15.9

4.3

0.1

-

0.1

-

-

0.4

27.1

5.4

4,459,071

Other White British

13.9

8.5

33.8

0.2

-

0.3

0.1

-

1.5

35.6

6.0

373,685

White Irish

6.7

68.6

6.5

0.1

-

0.1

0.1

-

0.9

12.3

4.7

49,428

Other White

8.0

27.8

20.3

0.4

-

1.0

2.4

-

2.0

30.8

7.5

78,150

Indian

2.4

3.8

3.4

0.3

30.5

0.1

5.9

37.6

0.9

9.1

6.0

15,037

Pakistani

0.7

0.5

0.4

-

0.1

-

89.2

0.1

0.2

2.8

6.1

31,793

Bangladeshi

2.0

1.2

1.1

0.3

1.4

0.3

84.3

0.1

0.3

3.9

5.3

1,981

Other South Asian

4.9

6.5

4.2

4.1

9.2

0.2

43.2

3.8

2.3

11.5

10.3

6,196

Chinese

3.4

4.3

8.8

11.7

0.1

0.1

0.2

0.1

1.0

63.1

7.2

16,310

Caribbean

13.6

17.6

22.7

0.2

0.3

0.2

0.8

0.2

1.6

32.0

10.9

1,778

African

9.3

18.2

32.4

0.1

0.1

0.2

18.5

0.1

0.9

12.4

7.7

5,118

Black Scottish or Other Black

20.4

18.3

14.5

0.3

0.3

0.3

8.7

0.4

1.4

23.1

12.5

1,129

Any Mixed Background

13.6

16.8

10.1

0.9

0.3

0.6

10.7

0.3

2.2

35.7

8.9

12,764

Other ethnic group

4.4

15.7

8.4

9.8

0.7

1.2

32.4

0.7

1.4

17.5

7.8

9,571

All People

42.4

15.9

6.8

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.8

0.1

0.5

27.5

5.5

5,062,011

Table 6.2 shows current religion by ethnic group .

  • Christianity is the most common religion for all four White groups and also for Caribbean, African and Other Black Scottish people.
  • Sikhism is the most common faith among Indian people (37.6%) followed by Hinduism (30.5%)
  • 89.2% of Pakistanis, 84.3% of Bangladeshis and 43.2% of Other South Asian people are Muslim. 32.4% of people who listed their ethnicity as 'Other' are also Muslim as are 18.5% of African people.
  • 63.1% of Chinese people responded that they have 'no current religion'. The group reporting the lowest level of 'no religion' is Pakistani people (2.8%).
  • 12.5% of Other Black people chose not to state their religion as did 10.9% of Caribbean people and 10.3% of Other South Asian people.

Back to top