Fewer people identify as Christian and more people are non-religious in Powys than a decade ago, new census figures show.

Office for National Statistics data from the 2021 census shows 49 per cent of people in Powys selected Christianity as their religion, down significantly from 62 per cent in the last survey a decade before.

Humanists UK ran campaigns in the lead up to the censuses in 2011 and 2021 encouraging non-religious people to select "no religion". The organisation said the recent figures should be a "wake-up call" for reconsidering the role religion has in society.

About 42 per cent selected "no religion" last year, a leap from 28 per cent in 2011.

Of these, 88 people said they were agnostic, while 48 selected Atheism.


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The area follows trends across England and Wales where 46 per cent of the population described themselves as Christian in the recent census, down from 59 per cent a decade earlier. It is the first time the proportion has dropped below half.

The figures show more people in Powys identify as Muslim, with 462 selecting the religion last year, up from 235 in 2011.

Additionally, 307 residents said they were Hindu in the survey, down from 324 10 years ago.

There were 595 Buddhists and 81 residents who selected Judaism.

Of the other options, 343 said they were pagans and six said they practice Heathenism.