Oxford among UK cities with highest multi-faith households

The city is ranked joint second on the list outside of London with 3.8 per cent of households in the city identified as having at least two different religions. 

This equates to roughly one-in-25 multi-person households.

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Oxford edged out its university rival Cambridge which ranked fourth outside of London with 3.7 per cent of households. 

The new data was calculated from the 2021 census. 

The highest figure in England outside of London is Slough in Berkshire, where 4.6 per cent of multi-person households had at least two religions stated on the census.

Hertsmere and Oxford were joint second, while the highest in Wales is Cardiff (1.8 per cent) and Newport (1.0 per cent).

The figures have been hailed as reflecting the “rich complexity of religious life” in the two nations and demonstrating that “increasingly, households and families are also arenas for religious diversity”.

Reverend Richard Sudworth, the Church of England’s national inter-religious affairs adviser, said there will be “many stories of love, loyalty and mutual care across religious difference” behind the numbers.

He said: “The survey adds further to the picture of the rich complexity of religious life in our nations today.

“We are beginning to understand that many of our neighbourhoods are routinely places of religious diversity.

“What this survey shows is that, increasingly, households and families are also arenas for religious diversity. Underneath these numbers will be many stories of love, loyalty and mutual care across religious difference from which we can all draw lessons and indeed celebrate.”

Almost 300,000 households across England and Wales have people of different religions living alongside each other, according to analysis of the census data, collected and published for the first time.

The Muslim Council of Britain said the figures show that society is capable of “togetherness, mutual care and understanding”.

The latest census, which took place on March 21, 2021, showed the religious make-up of the population to be more diverse than ever, with fewer than half of people describing themselves as Christian.

It was also the first survey of its kind to report the religious affiliation within the 17.3 million multi-person households in England and Wales – of which 285,000 (1.6 per cent) were recorded as having at least two different faiths.

The proportion is as high as one in 20 in some areas of London, including Hounslow and Westminster (both 5.5 per cent) and Barnet and Harrow (5.1 per cent), according to analysis by the PA news agency.

Blaenau Gwent had the lowest proportion across England and Wales (0.4 per cent of multi-person households), followed by Merthyr Tydfil, Hartlepool and Caerphilly (all 0.5 per cent).

The PA analysis is based on the latest release of census data by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).