Crossing the halfway point in this look at the 2021 census, things move to a category that revealed some of the more dramatic changes: religion (or lack of).
A reminder of the ground rules:
- The figures will be counted at council level (the 22 unitary authorities). There are probably more interesting results at a local level/ward level, but that’s not for me to do. You can look these up yourselves using the ONS’s interactive map.
- Percentages are rounded to the nearest decimal place and changes are percentage point increases or decreases (unless stated otherwise).
- 2021 will be compared to both the 2011 and 2001 censuses unless comparable figures are unavailable (i.e. things were counted differently in 2021 compared to previous years) or I couldn’t find the data for whatever reason. In some instances, there won’t be a comparison because it’s a new category.
- Any conclusions are educated guesses rather than hard/academically rigorous ones.
What’s the overall national picture?
Islam is the second biggest religion in Wales – though a very distant second to Christianity.
There are just under 67,000 Welsh Muslims, making up 2.2% of the population. This was a slight increase of 0.7% compared to 2011 and a 1.7% percentage point increase since 2001. So it’s statistically correct to say that Islam is probably the “fastest growing religion in Wales”, but two is 100% bigger than one.
Given that taking part in worship is often an obligation for Muslims, it wouldn’t surprise me if there were almost as many practising Muslims in Wales (as in regularly praying, attending mosques etc.) as there are Christians.
What are the standout findings for individual councils?
More than half of Welsh Muslims (45,000) live in Cardiff and Newport, with a sizable Muslim community in Swansea (7,700). Muslims make up around 9.3% of Cardiff’s population and a little over 7% of Newport’s. That’s a natural reflection of the diversity in the cities.
Elsewhere, there aren’t that many Muslims – despite what some would like to claim. There are only 6 other local authorities with more than 1,000 resident Muslims: Gwynedd, Wrexham, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Vale of Glamorgan and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
What may be the reasons behind the changes (if applicable)?
It hasn’t changed all that much to note.
Though areas with a sizable Muslim population – like Cardiff and Newport – will have proportionally more Muslim children born there than elsewhere. That will be topped up by first-generation migration and university students from the Muslim world studying at Welsh universities.
Are there any public policy implications?
Not really. There’s a need for some level of cultural/religious awareness in areas with sizable Muslim populations (such as the availability of Halal food), but I don’t think you can treat one faith group more favourably than any other.
The wider issue would be discrimination – more likely down to race or social class than religion.
