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Year 9 - Religious education

Interpreting the 2021 census data

Census: How has the landscape of belief changed in Britain?

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils will interpret census data to explore religion and belief in the UK. They will examine the growing diversity within Christianity and the rise of cultural Christians. They will use work by the sociologist, Linda Woodhead, to analyse the rise of 'no religion' in the UK.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how the census asks about religion and what the results can and cannot tell us about religion in England and Wales.

Key Notes

  • There are key differences regarding the religion data from the 2011 and 2021 census data.
  • The census asks people a voluntary question, "What is your religion?".
  • It can tell us important things about religion but we must interpet it carefully and ask questions about it as a source.
  • There are reasons why people may not answer or answer the question in a particular way.
  • Censuses have been used for thousands of years to find out population data, including around the time of Jesus.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • census: an official count of a country's population, usually including details like age, sex, and occupation
  • voluntary: done by choice, without being forced
  • multi-religious: involving or including people who follow different religions
  • religious affiliation: a person's connection or association with a specific religion

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The census tells us how many people follow a religion in England and Wales.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

There are key differences regarding the religion data from the 2011 and 2021 census data. The census asks people a voluntary question, "What is your religion?".

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'census'

an official count of a country's population, usually including details like age, sex, and occupation.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: The census tells us how many people follow a religion in England and Wales. Correction: The census can only tell us what people ticked in the census. This may not be the reality.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 9 Religious education guide library.