Jersey's young people are giving up on the church

Tuesday 29 December 2015

We might have just got through Christmas, but the latest stats tell us that most young people in Jersey are non-religious and the Island’s atheist and agnostic population now outnumbers both Catholics and Anglicans.

The figures from this year’s Annual Social Survey show that 52% of Islanders aged 16-34 don't think of themselves as having any religion.

It's the first time the Survey has questioned people about their beliefs and showed that three quarters of those over 65 do regard themselves as religious.

British Humanist Association Chief Executive Andrew Copson said: "These statistics dispel the presumption that the population is mainly or predominantly Christian. The results show that while Catholics and Anglicans together represent around half of Jersey’s population, the non-religious represent a community that is equally significant and equally deserving of recognition.

"We hope that the Jersey Government will consider very closely how the results of this survey should influence public policy on the island. In particular, legal humanist marriages would be easy for the Government of Jersey to implement, and they would meet a real need from the local population for authentic, non-religious ceremonies."