The number of British-born Christians is falling steeply while a youthful Muslim population is on the rise, according to census figures published yesterday.
The average age of Christians in England and Wales is almost double that of Muslims. Overall, Christians have the oldest age profile of all the main faiths while Muslims have the youngest.
The census showed that the fall in the number of Christians is concentrated among the under-60s as the young abandon the faith of the older generation.
The figures suggest Christianity is in long-term decline, with secular groups estimating that less than half the population of England and Wales will belong to the faith by 2018.
David Coleman, Professor of Demography at the University of Oxford, said that the findings showed