A new report,
commissioned by Humanist Society
Scotland, reveals that a substantial majority (59%) of
Scottish people do not hold either religious or spiritual
beliefs. The research carried out by Survation, polled over 1,000
Scottish residents about a range of issues relating to their
religious affiliations and beliefs.
The report’s key findings are:
-
Most people in Scotland self identify as non-religious (59%)
-
Women are more likely to be non-religious (62%) than men
(55%)
-
Most people in Scotland do not believe in life after death
(51%)
-
The majority of the Scottish public do not believe in angels
(60%), evil spirits (65%) or divine miracles from God (67%)
-
Most people in Scotland never pray (53%)
-
60% reporting they never attended church outside of weddings
or funerals they are attending
Commenting on the impact of the findings, Humanist Society
Scotland Chief Executive Gordon MacRae said,
‘These figures show how the majority of Scotland's population do
not identify with a religion nor believe in key aspects of
spiritual belief… By all measurements Scotland is no longer a
faith-based country - and has not been for some time... This is
important when it comes to the provision of public services for
example, providers must ensure they recognise and meet the needs
of everyone - religious or not.’
These findings are consistent with other recent surveys such as
the 2017 Scottish Social Attitudes
Survey (SSAS), which found that 58% of Scots consider
themselves non-religious, including 74% of Scots aged 18-34. The
SSAS suggested that the only generation where religious belief
was in the majority was Scots aged 65+, of whom only 34% were
non-religious, compared to 57% of Scots aged 50-64.
Last year, Humanist Society Scotland conducted more marriages in
Scotland that any religious group, including the Church of
Scotland.
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson commented,
‘The evidence suggests that Scotland is not only a majority
non-religious country, but that the non-religious population is
very firm in those beliefs - overwhelmingly rejecting
supernatural, spiritual, and irrational beliefs.
‘In the light of these finding, senior politicians across
Scotland need to stop claiming that Scotland is a “Christian
country” as a means of justifying privileges given to religious
institutions in politics and public life.’
