Anglicans are more likely to report life satisfaction, and many older churchgoers say they never feel lonely, according to a new survey.

The Opinium survey for the Belonging Forum included 10,634 people, among them 3,737 Christians, 1,979 of whom were Anglicans. It highlights the strong link between faith group membership and perceived well-being and health.

Seventy-two per cent of Christians surveyed, including 73 per cent of Anglicans, reported life satisfaction, compared with 65 per cent of the general population. Satisfaction was highest among Anglican men and young Anglicans, though 19 per cent of young Anglicans also reported greater loneliness than the general population's elevent per cent. Among Anglicans aged 65 and over, 34 per cent never felt lonely, versus 19 per cent of the general population.

The survey also found that religious people had higher levels of social connectedness and friendships. Anglicans, in particular, spoke more often with their neighbours, with more men than women engaging in neighbourhood chats.

Christians felt more strongly connected to their neighbourhood and community, with 46 per cent of Church of England members feeling a strong sense of belonging to the UK, compared with 31 per cent of the general population.

Religious people reported having wider friendship groups. Younger Christians were more likely than the general population to have close friends and be satisfied with their friendships, although some in the 18-24 age bracket reported having no close friends at all.