New figures have revealed that more than half of Britons describe themselves as having "no religion."
According to the latest data from the National Centre for Social Research's (NatCen) British social attitudes survey, the proportion of non-believers is at a record high of 53%,
The 2016 research found 15% of people belonged to the Church of England (CofE), 9% to the Catholic Church, 17% to other Christian denominations, and 6 per cent to other religions.
Those who describe themselves as having "no religion" has increased gradually since 1983, when the survey began and it stood at 31%.
Roger Harding, NatCen's head of public attitudes reportedly said: "This increase follows the long-term trend of more and more of us not being religious.
"The differences by age are stark and with so many younger people not having a religion it's hard to see this change abating any time soon.
"The falls in those belonging to the Church of England are the most notable, but these figures should cause all religious leaders to pause for thought."
Researchers said the fall in religious affiliation has, at least in part, been driven by young people, with 71% of those who are between 18 to 24, saying they had no religion in 2016, up from 62% cent in 2015.
The data also shows a decline in religious affiliation among all age groups over the same period, but among the oldest people, those with no religion are still in the minority. Just four in 10 people between 65 and 74 years say they have no religion, with the proportion dropping to 27% among those aged 75 and over.
