Religion- C of E Attendance & Visits Facts
Sunday, 11 December 2011 11:34
Key facts about the Church of England:
Church attendance and visits
1.7 million people take part in a Church of England service each month, a level that has been maintained since the turn of the millennium.
Approximately one million participate each Sunday.
Approaching 3 million people participate in a Church of England service on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve.
Thirty-five per cent of the population attend a Christmas service of some sort, rising to 42 per cent in London, nationally, and 22 per cent among those of non-Christian faiths.
The Church of England has the largest following of any denomination or faith in Britain today.
More than 4 in 10 in England regard themselves as belonging to the Church of England, while 6 in 10 consider themselves Christian.
People support their local churches in many different ways at different points in their lives.
Each year 3 in 10 attend regular Sunday worship and more than 4 in 10 attend a wedding in their local church, while still more attend a funeral there
In 2009, 43 per cent of adults attended a church or place of worship for a memorial service for someone who has died and 17 per cent were seeking a quiet space.
Both these proportions are increases on 22 per cent and 12 per cent respectively in 2001.
85 per cent of the population visit a church or place of worship in the course of a year, for reasons ranging from participating in worship to attending social events or simply wanting a quiet space.
Every year, around 12 million people visit Church of England cathedrals, including 300,000 pupils on school visits.
Three of England's top five historic 'visitor attractions' are York Minster, Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.
