A major new study has highlighted how religious identity is changing around the world, with Britain now among a handful of countries where no single faith forms a majority.

The report stated that the share of Christianity in England and Wales "has fallen below half”. 

The research, conducted by Pew Research Center as part of its Global Religious Futures project, assessed 201 countries and territories using a Religious Diversity Index (RDI) to measure how evenly seven major religious groups are represented, including Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, other religions and those with no affiliation.

The study found that Singapore is the world’s most religiously diverse country, scoring 9.3 out of 10 on the RDI. Around 31% of Singapore’s population identify as Buddhist, 20% are unaffiliated, 19% are Christian, and 16% are Muslim.

The study showed that no country achieved a perfect score.

By contrast, the UK does not rank among the most diverse nations overall, but it is one of seven countries where no single religion holds a majority.

Census figures show that 46% of people in England and Wales identify as Christian, down from 72% in 2001, while 37% report no religious affiliation. The Muslim population rose from five per cent in 2011 to nearly seven per cent in 2021.

The findings reflected a wider trend of religious disaffiliation in Western Europe.

Despite declines in traditional Christian affiliation, some traditions, including Pentecostal and Orthodox churches, continue to grow, often supported by younger worshippers and immigrant communities, the report noted.