What do official statistics say about religion and crime?

The official statistics this site found give religion for people in prison, not for suspects or people convicted in court, and the ONS says it does not hold data on the religion of perpetrators of crime. On 30 June 2026, 43.36% of prisoners in England and Wales were recorded as Christian, 18.77% Muslim, 27.26% no faith or belief and 0.29% not recorded, against 46.18% Christian, 6.49% Muslim and 37.19% no religion among residents in the 2021 census; in Northern Ireland in 2024/25, 50.03% of the average prison population was Catholic and 32.18% Protestant or other Christian, against 42.31% and 37.36% of residents in 2021; and in India at the end of 2024, 76.04% of convicts were Hindu, 15.81% Muslim, 3.92% Sikh and 3.04% Christian, against 79.8%, 14.23%, 1.72% and 2.3% of the population in the 2011 census.

Choose a figure

Prisoners in England and Wales: Christian

43.36

% of prisoners in England and Wales recorded as Christian, 30 June 2026

Moderate trust, 63 of 100 Only one source (MoJ prisons), so it cannot be checked against another.

Each source by year: % of prisoners in England and Wales recorded as Christian

Recorded change in how a source reports; hover or focus the ring for details.

Show the data as a table

Year	Ministry of Justice, Offender Management Statistics: annual prison population 2026 (Table 1.A.23) and 2015 (Table A1.9)
2002	58.05
2003	57.65
2004	55.63
2005	54.02
2006	52.35
2007	51.86
2008	50.24
2009	48.26
2010	48.5
2011	49.79
2012	50.18
2013	50.5
2014	49.94
2015	49.51
2016	48.86
2017	47.99
2018	47.77
2019	47.46
2020	46.47
2021	45.01
2022	45.01
2023	44.48
2024	44.38
2025	43.12
2026	43.36

What this number counts

Counts: Share of the prison population recorded as Christian (all denominations), out of all prisoners including those with religion not recorded
Where: England and Wales, all prisons and immigration removal centres run by the prison service
When: 30 June 2026 (series: 30 June each year) (one year, not an average)

The figure from MoJ prisons, the only source that counts here.

Where the number comes from (1 source)

Source	Figure and year	Definition	Quality	Counts for
Ministry of Justice, Offender Management Statistics: annual prison population 2026 (Table 1.A.23) and 2015 (Table A1.9)Ministry of Justice · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-27 · Data (spreadsheet)	43.362026	People in prison in England and Wales on 30 June 2026 recorded as Christian (all denominations): 37,232 of 85,858 prisoners (all religions, including not recorded). Religion is self-reported by prisoners and not checked by prisons. Sum of the Anglican, Roman Catholic and other Christian rows (before June 2025 also Free Church). 2002-2014 from the 2015 annual tables (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f8767ed915d74e33f6fef/prison-population-2015.xlsx), Table A1.9, which gives 2002-2008 to two decimals; for 30 June 2015 this page uses the 2026 edition, which records 157 fewer prisoners as No religion and 157 more as Not recorded than the 2015 edition; all other groups match. Non recognised (fewer than 30 prisoners in any year, dropped in June 2025) is in no group here.	4 of 5 checks Yes: Method and definitions published. The Guide to Offender Management Statistics defines the prison population and how religion is recorded. Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. Official statistics published by the Ministry of Justice (Offender Management Statistics Quarterly). Yes: Full count or representative sample. Every person held in prison on 30 June each year, not a sample. Yes: Raw data downloadable. Annual prison population tables are published as ODS and xlsx. No: No known break or quality problem. Religion codes changed in June 2025 and figures before and after are not comparable (note 4); 350 prisoners moved to Other Christian in 2015; new IT system in 2010; religion is self-reported and not checked.	100%

Better and more direct sources count for more. A source that only copies another does not count.

MoJ prisons 100%

MoJ prisons100%

How the trust score was worked out

Quality32 / 40: How well the sources are made
Agreement15 / 30: Unknown with one source, so set to half
Independence6 / 20: How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10: How recent the newest data is

How the score works

Who reports it, and since when

Which kinds of source measure this number, which years each one published, and where the reporting stops or has holes.

Police and justice records · 1

No source of these kinds: death and health registers, independent count.

Single source: nothing to check it against
MoJ prisons, 2009: A new prison IT system was introduced; 2010 figures come from a different source, and 2009 is published from both the old and the new system (prison population 2015 tables, note 1). This page uses the new-system 2009 column. source
MoJ prisons, 2015: On 30 June 2015, 350 prisoners previously recorded in the other religious group were moved to the Other Christian category (Table 1.A.23 note 3). source
MoJ prisons, 2015: On 30 June 2015 prison population statistics moved to a new extract taken directly from Prison-NOMIS; MoJ reports large improvements in data quality (Guide to Offender Management Statistics). source
MoJ prisons, 2025: Religion and belief codes were streamlined in June 2025 "to facilitate more accurate data entry"; prisoners moved between groups, and figures before 30 June 2025 are "not fully consistent with or comparable to" later ones (Table 1.A.23 note 4). No religion became No faith or belief, Other religious group became Other faith or belief, Agnostic, Atheist, Humanist was added, and Free Church and Non recognised were dropped. source

Years each source has a figure here

'02'05'10'15'20'25'26MoJ prisons

figure no figure here, inside its range no later figure recorded change

Prisoners in England and Wales: No religion

27.26

% of prisoners in England and Wales recorded as No religion, 30 June 2026

Moderate trust, 63 of 100 Only one source (MoJ prisons), so it cannot be checked against another.

Each source by year: % of prisoners in England and Wales recorded as No religion

Recorded change in how a source reports; hover or focus the ring for details.

Show the data as a table

Year	Ministry of Justice, Offender Management Statistics: annual prison population 2026 (Table 1.A.23) and 2015 (Table A1.9)
2002	31.46
2003	30.66
2004	31.83
2005	32.58
2006	32.83
2007	32.48
2008	33.31
2009	35.02
2010	31.56
2011	30.59
2012	29.37
2013	29.2
2014	29.96
2015	30.31
2016	30.48
2017	30.61
2018	30.55
2019	30.12
2020	30.17
2021	31.22
2022	31.16
2023	31.12
2024	30.72
2025	28.07
2026	27.26

What this number counts

Counts: Share of the prison population recorded as No religion (from June 2025: No faith or belief), out of all prisoners including those with religion not recorded
Where: England and Wales, all prisons and immigration removal centres run by the prison service
When: 30 June 2026 (series: 30 June each year) (one year, not an average)

The figure from MoJ prisons, the only source that counts here.

Where the number comes from (1 source)

Source	Figure and year	Definition	Quality	Counts for
Ministry of Justice, Offender Management Statistics: annual prison population 2026 (Table 1.A.23) and 2015 (Table A1.9)Ministry of Justice · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-27 · Data (spreadsheet)	27.262026	People in prison in England and Wales on 30 June 2026 recorded as No religion (from June 2025: No faith or belief): 23,404 of 85,858 prisoners (all religions, including not recorded). Religion is self-reported by prisoners and not checked by prisons. 2002-2014 from the 2015 annual tables (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f8767ed915d74e33f6fef/prison-population-2015.xlsx), Table A1.9, which gives 2002-2008 to two decimals; for 30 June 2015 this page uses the 2026 edition, which records 157 fewer prisoners as No religion and 157 more as Not recorded than the 2015 edition; all other groups match. Non recognised (fewer than 30 prisoners in any year, dropped in June 2025) is in no group here.	4 of 5 checks Yes: Method and definitions published. The Guide to Offender Management Statistics defines the prison population and how religion is recorded. Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. Official statistics published by the Ministry of Justice (Offender Management Statistics Quarterly). Yes: Full count or representative sample. Every person held in prison on 30 June each year, not a sample. Yes: Raw data downloadable. Annual prison population tables are published as ODS and xlsx. No: No known break or quality problem. Religion codes changed in June 2025 and figures before and after are not comparable (note 4); 350 prisoners moved to Other Christian in 2015; new IT system in 2010; religion is self-reported and not checked.	100%

Better and more direct sources count for more. A source that only copies another does not count.

MoJ prisons 100%

MoJ prisons100%

How the trust score was worked out

Quality32 / 40: How well the sources are made
Agreement15 / 30: Unknown with one source, so set to half
Independence6 / 20: How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10: How recent the newest data is

How the score works

Who reports it, and since when

Which kinds of source measure this number, which years each one published, and where the reporting stops or has holes.

Police and justice records · 1

No source of these kinds: death and health registers, independent count.

Single source: nothing to check it against
MoJ prisons, 2009: A new prison IT system was introduced; 2010 figures come from a different source, and 2009 is published from both the old and the new system (prison population 2015 tables, note 1). This page uses the new-system 2009 column. source
MoJ prisons, 2015: On 30 June 2015, 350 prisoners previously recorded in the other religious group were moved to the Other Christian category (Table 1.A.23 note 3). source
MoJ prisons, 2015: On 30 June 2015 prison population statistics moved to a new extract taken directly from Prison-NOMIS; MoJ reports large improvements in data quality (Guide to Offender Management Statistics). source
MoJ prisons, 2025: Religion and belief codes were streamlined in June 2025 "to facilitate more accurate data entry"; prisoners moved between groups, and figures before 30 June 2025 are "not fully consistent with or comparable to" later ones (Table 1.A.23 note 4). No religion became No faith or belief, Other religious group became Other faith or belief, Agnostic, Atheist, Humanist was added, and Free Church and Non recognised were dropped. source

Years each source has a figure here

'02'05'10'15'20'25'26MoJ prisons

figure no figure here, inside its range no later figure recorded change

Each line is the source that counts most for that group.

Christian (all denominations)

Muslim

Hindu

Sikh

Buddhist

Jewish

Other religious group (from June 2025: Other faith or belief)

No religion (from June 2025: No faith or belief)

Agnostic, Atheist, Humanist (from June 2025)

Not recorded

Group	Figure	Year	Trust
Christian (all denominations)	43.36	2026	63 Moderate
Muslim	18.77	2026	63 Moderate
Hindu	0.46	2026	63 Moderate
Sikh	0.75	2026	63 Moderate
Buddhist	1.93	2026	63 Moderate
Jewish	0.61	2026	63 Moderate
Other religious group (from June 2025: Other faith or belief)	4.37	2026	63 Moderate
No religion (from June 2025: No faith or belief)	27.26	2026	63 Moderate
Agnostic, Atheist, Humanist (from June 2025)	2.2	2026	63 Moderate
Not recorded	0.29	2026	63 Moderate

Show every year as a table

Year	Christian (all denominations)	Muslim	Hindu	Sikh	Buddhist	Jewish	Other religious group (from June 2025: Other faith or belief)	No religion (from June 2025: No faith or belief)	Agnostic, Atheist, Humanist (from June 2025)	Not recorded
2002	58.05	7.73	0.38	0.62	0.95	0.25	0.54	31.46	–	0.01
2003	57.65	8.33	0.46	0.66	1.29	0.25	0.67	30.66	–	0.02
2004	55.63	8.82	0.46	0.67	1.52	0.24	0.81	31.83	–	0.01
2005	54.02	9.51	0.49	0.71	1.62	0.26	0.79	32.58	–	0
2006	52.35	10.57	0.47	0.74	1.84	0.24	0.94	32.83	–	0
2007	51.86	11.12	0.45	0.76	2.02	0.29	1.01	32.48	–	0
2008	50.24	11.77	0.52	0.78	2.09	0.26	1	33.31	–	0.02
2009	48.26	11.91	0.52	0.79	2.18	0.26	1	35.02	–	0.05
2010	48.5	12.28	0.51	0.79	2.2	0.27	1.07	31.56	–	2.78
2011	49.79	12.5	0.53	0.83	2.1	0.27	1.18	30.59	–	2.19
2012	50.18	13.07	0.53	0.9	2.04	0.29	1.23	29.37	–	2.37
2013	50.5	13.63	0.54	0.95	1.95	0.32	1.56	29.2	–	1.33
2014	49.94	14.16	0.52	0.86	1.91	0.37	1.83	29.96	–	0.42
2015	49.51	14.55	0.55	0.91	1.81	0.43	1.52	30.31	–	0.39
2016	48.86	14.84	0.48	0.9	1.85	0.51	1.69	30.48	–	0.37
2017	47.99	15.36	0.46	0.86	1.8	0.59	1.94	30.61	–	0.38
2018	47.77	15.58	0.43	0.76	1.83	0.59	2.15	30.55	–	0.33
2019	47.46	16.13	0.41	0.73	1.94	0.6	2.31	30.12	–	0.29
2020	46.47	16.6	0.42	0.68	2.02	0.65	2.43	30.17	–	0.56
2021	45.01	17.52	0.42	0.63	1.89	0.6	2.37	31.22	–	0.33
2022	45.01	17.4	0.43	0.63	1.96	0.59	2.44	31.16	–	0.35
2023	44.48	17.79	0.39	0.64	2	0.57	2.58	31.12	–	0.43
2024	44.38	18.21	0.4	0.68	1.94	0.61	2.72	30.72	–	0.34
2025	43.12	18.38	0.41	0.7	2.02	0.61	4.21	28.07	2.21	0.28
2026	43.36	18.77	0.46	0.75	1.93	0.61	4.37	27.26	2.2	0.29

Each line is the source that counts most for that group.

Christian

Muslim

Hindu

Sikh

Buddhist

Jewish

Other religion

No religion

Not answered

Group	Figure	Year	Trust
Christian	46.18	2021	68 Moderate
Muslim	6.49	2021	68 Moderate
Hindu	1.73	2021	68 Moderate
Sikh	0.88	2021	68 Moderate
Buddhist	0.46	2021	68 Moderate
Jewish	0.46	2021	68 Moderate
Other religion	0.58	2021	68 Moderate
No religion	37.19	2021	68 Moderate
Not answered	6.03	2021	68 Moderate

Show every year as a table

Year	Christian	Muslim	Hindu	Sikh	Buddhist	Jewish	Other religion	No religion	Not answered
2011	59.28	4.83	1.46	0.75	0.44	0.47	0.43	25.14	7.2
2021	46.18	6.49	1.73	0.88	0.46	0.46	0.58	37.19	6.03

Each line is the source that counts most for that group.

Catholic
Protestant and other Christian
Muslim
Other religion
No religion or not stated

Group	Figure	Year	Trust
Catholic	50.03	2025	71 Moderate
Protestant and other Christian	32.18	2025	71 Moderate
Muslim	2.35	2025	71 Moderate
Other religion	1.36	2025	71 Moderate
No religion or not stated	14.13	2025	71 Moderate

Show every year as a table

Year	Catholic	Protestant and other Christian	Muslim	Other religion	No religion or not stated
2016	52.14	35.18	0.63	2.26	9.8
2017	52.92	34.38	0.95	2.17	9.58
2018	52.95	34.89	0.83	1.74	9.66
2019	54.42	33.7	0.83	2.21	8.91
2020	50.99	35.36	1.06	1.85	10.69
2021	52.76	32.6	1.31	1.86	11.4
2022	51.41	34.34	1.54	2.07	10.71
2023	51.22	33.77	1.84	1.66	11.51
2024	51.52	31.75	1.76	1.49	13.48
2025	50.03	32.18	2.35	1.36	14.13

Each line is the source that counts most for that group.

Catholic
Protestant and other Christian
Other religions
No religion
Religion not stated

Group	Figure	Year	Trust
Catholic	42.31	2021	68 Moderate
Protestant and other Christian	37.36	2021	68 Moderate
Other religions	1.34	2021	68 Moderate
No religion	17.39	2021	68 Moderate
Religion not stated	1.6	2021	68 Moderate

Show every year as a table

Year	Catholic	Protestant and other Christian	Other religions	No religion	Religion not stated
2011	40.76	41.56	0.82	10.11	6.75
2021	42.31	37.36	1.34	17.39	1.6

Each line is the source that counts most for that group.

Church of Scotland
Roman Catholic
Muslim
None

Group	Figure	Year	Trust
Church of Scotland	29.43	2011	54 Low
Roman Catholic	22.7	2011	54 Low
Muslim	2.26	2011	54 Low
None	39.97	2011	54 Low

Show every year as a table

Year	Church of Scotland	Roman Catholic	Muslim	None
2009	31.02	23.28	2.04	37.72
2010	30.67	23.31	2.25	38.11
2011	29.43	22.7	2.26	39.97

Each line is the source that counts most for that group.

Group	Figure	Year	Trust
Church of Scotland	32.44	2011	62 Moderate
Roman Catholic	15.88	2011	62 Moderate
Muslim	1.45	2011	62 Moderate
No religion	36.66	2011	62 Moderate

Show every year as a table

Year

Each line is the source that counts most for that group.

Hindu
Muslim
Sikh
Christian
Others

Group	Figure	Year	Trust
Hindu	76.04	2024	55 Low
Muslim	15.81	2024	55 Low
Sikh	3.92	2024	55 Low
Christian	3.04	2024	55 Low
Others	1.19	2024	55 Low

Show every year as a table

Year	Hindu	Muslim	Sikh	Christian	Others
1998	68.72	17.45	4.72	5.14	3.97
1999	71.09	16.51	4	3.64	4.76
2000	68.86	17.66	3.83	4.07	5.59
2001	70.49	17.53	4.1	3.93	3.95
2002	73.09	16.66	4.04	4.47	1.74
2003	69.92	18.92	3.93	5.56	1.67
2004	70.71	19.13	4.17	4.82	1.17
2005	72.5	18.02	3.83	4.17	1.48
2006	74.14	17.67	3.63	3.47	1.09
2007	75.38	16.34	3.46	3.73	1.09
2008	74.16	17.63	3.9	3.3	1.02
2009	72.66	18.51	4.06	3.36	1.4
2010	72.92	18.02	4.37	3.32	1.37
2011	71.67	17.84	4.88	3.85	1.75
2012	71.36	17.75	4.95	4	1.94
2013	71.97	17.09	5.27	3.89	1.78
2014	72.5	16.39	5.54	3.93	1.64
2015	72.65	15.82	5.6	4.16	1.78
2017	71.99	17.2	5.29	3.37	2.15
2018	72.56	17.24	4.71	3.36	2.12
2019	74.15	16.63	4.31	3.2	1.72
2020	75.76	17.41	2.31	3.08	1.44
2021	75.31	15.94	4.51	2.9	1.34
2022	73.8	17.13	4.21	3.29	1.56
2023	75.07	15.84	4.01	3.38	1.7
2024	76.04	15.81	3.92	3.04	1.19

Each line is the source that counts most for that group.

Group	Figure	Year	Trust
Hindu	79.8	2011	62 Moderate
Muslim	14.23	2011	62 Moderate
Sikh	1.72	2011	62 Moderate
Christian	2.3	2011	62 Moderate
Others (Buddhist, Jain, other religions, not stated)	1.96	2011	62 Moderate

Show every year as a table

Year

About this data

Every source on this page (8)

Who is behind the sources

49% Statistics office
43% Police or justice agency
9% Other government body

Each publisher, its funding and its own description

Office for National Statistics (ONS) · Statistics officeFunding: UK government budget; ONS is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department. sourceIn its own words: “Our main responsibilities are collecting, analysing and disseminating statistics about the UK's economy, society and population.” source, retrieved 2026-10-27
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) · Statistics officeFunding: Northern Ireland Executive budget; NISRA is an executive agency of the Department of Finance (NI). sourceIn its own words: “Our central purpose is to provide trusted and independent insights on life in Northern Ireland…” source, retrieved 2026-10-27
National Records of Scotland (NRS) · Statistics officeFunding: Scottish Government budget; NRS is a non-ministerial department. sourceIn its own words: “We collect, preserve and publish information about Scotland's people and history, to inform current and future generations.” source, retrieved 2026-10-27
Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India · Statistics officeFunding: Government of India budget; the office sits under the Ministry of Home Affairs. source
Ministry of Justice (UK) · Police or justice agencyFunding: UK government budget; it is a ministerial department. sourceIn its own words: “We work to protect and advance the principles of justice.” source, retrieved 2026-10-27
Department of Justice (Northern Ireland) · Police or justice agencyFunding: Northern Ireland Executive budget; it is a devolved government department. sourceIn its own words: “…responsible for the resourcing, legislative and policy framework of the justice system.” source, retrieved 2026-10-27
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India · Police or justice agencyFunding: Government of India budget, through the Ministry of Home Affairs. sourceIn its own words: “Empowering Indian Police with Information Technology” source, retrieved 2026-10-27
Scottish Government · Other government bodyFunding: A block grant from the UK government plus taxes devolved to Scotland, such as Scottish income tax. sourceIn its own words: “The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland.” source, retrieved 2026-10-27

Ministry of Justice, Offender Management Statistics: annual prison population 2026 (Table 1.A.23) and 2015 (Table A1.9)Ministry of Justice (UK) (police or justice agency) · Police and justice recordsUsed for 10 numbers; counts toward 10. Years 2026. Retrieved 2026-10-27.Data (spreadsheet)
ONS Census 2021, religion (10 categories), census API; 2011 point from Census 2011 KS209EW (Nomis)Office for National Statistics (ONS) (statistics office) · Population registerUsed for 9 numbers; counts toward 9. Years 2021. Retrieved 2026-10-27.Open the publisher's page Data (API)
Department of Justice NI, The Northern Ireland Prison Population 2024/25, Table 14eDepartment of Justice (Northern Ireland) (police or justice agency) · Police and justice recordsUsed for 5 numbers; counts toward 5. Years 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-27.Data (spreadsheet)
NISRA Census 2021, MS-B19 Religion; 2011 point from Census 2011 KS211NINorthern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (statistics office) · Population registerUsed for 5 numbers; counts toward 5. Years 2021. Retrieved 2026-10-27.Data (Excel file)
National Crime Records Bureau, Prison Statistics India (Table 2.10C; before 2016 the demographic particulars table)National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India (police or justice agency) · Police and justice recordsUsed for 5 numbers; counts toward 5. Years 2024. Retrieved 2026-10-27.Open the publisher's page
Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, Census 2011, C-01 Population by religious communityOffice of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India (statistics office) · Population registerUsed for 5 numbers; counts toward 5. Years 2011. Retrieved 2026-10-27.Open the publisher's page
Scottish Government, Prison Statistics Scotland (2009-10, 2010-11) and Prison Statistics and Population Projections Scotland 2011-12Scottish Government (other government body) · Police and justice recordsUsed for 4 numbers; counts toward 4. Years 2011. Retrieved 2026-10-27.Open the publisher's page
Scotland's Census 2011 (National Records of Scotland), KS209SCb ReligionNational Records of Scotland (NRS) (statistics office) · Population registerUsed for 4 numbers; counts toward 4. Years 2011. Retrieved 2026-10-27.Data (zip file)

Why the numbers differ (4)

Each publisher counts prisoners differently. England and Wales and Scotland count everyone held on 30 June; Northern Ireland averages daily counts over the financial year; India counts convicts on 31 December and publishes undertrial prisoners in a separate table. In India at the end of 2024, 20.35% of undertrials with a religion breakdown were Muslim and 70.81% Hindu, against 15.81% and 76.04% of convicts. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
The census counts people of all ages, and almost all prisoners are adults. Among residents of England and Wales aged 16 and over in 2021, 5.49% were Muslim and 48.71% Christian, against 6.49% and 46.18% of all ages. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
Categories are each publisher's own. England and Wales changed its prison religion codes in June 2025 and warns that earlier figures are not comparable; Northern Ireland publishes no religion and not stated as one group (14.13% in 2024/25), while the census separates them; the Scottish prison table has no not-recorded row; NCRB groups Buddhist, Jain and other religions as Others. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
Prison figures and census figures are years apart for Scotland and India. Scotland stopped publishing prisoners by religion after 2011, and India has held no census since 2011, so the comparison for India uses population shares from more than a decade before the prison count.

Common mistakes (4)

Reading the prison population as a sample of offenders. A prison count is a snapshot of people held on one day, including people on remand awaiting trial; people serving long sentences weigh more than people serving short ones, and most people convicted of an offence never go to prison. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
Treating religion in prison records as fixed. In England and Wales it is self-reported by prisoners and not checked by prisons, and it can be changed while in custody; the share recorded as not stated or not recorded differs between systems. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
Comparing England and Wales prison figures across June 2025. The Ministry of Justice says figures before 30 June 2025 are not fully comparable with later ones because religion codes were streamlined. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
Treating census religion as a fixed count. In England and Wales the religion question is voluntary, and ONS advises caution when comparing figures between censuses because response rates vary. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)

Context (6)

Sources considered and not used (5)

Ministry of Justice, Outcomes by Offence (prosecutions, convictions, sentences): Has no breakdown by religion, according to the ONS reply FOI-2026-3502. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
Home Office, statistics on the operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act: Covers only people arrested or held for terrorism-related offences, a small group that cannot stand for crime in general. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
ONS, Crime Survey for England and Wales and police recorded crime by religion of victim: Measures the religion of victims, not of offenders or prisoners. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
Scotland's Census 2022, religion: Not used because the last Scottish prison table by religion is for 30 June 2011, so the 2011 census is the matching base. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
NCRB, religion of undertrials, detenues and other prisoners (Tables 2.11C to 2.13C): Kept out of the comparison sets to keep one definition per set; the undertrial shares for the latest year are given in the convict figures and under why sources differ. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)

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Cite as: RealStats, “What do official statistics say about religion and crime?”, updated 2026-10-27, with the original sources listed on the page. Scores use formula version 1.0.
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What do official statistics say about religion and crime?

Prisoners in England and Wales: Christian

Prisoners in England and Wales: No religion

England and Wales: share of the prison population by religion, % of all prisoners (30 June 2002-2026)

England and Wales: share of usual residents by religion, % (census 2011 and 2021)

Northern Ireland: share of the average daily prison population by religion, % (2015/16-2024/25)

Northern Ireland: share of usual residents by religion, % (census 2011 and 2021)

Scotland: share of offenders in custody by religion, % (30 June 2009-2011)

Scotland: share of residents by religion, % (census 2011)

India: share of convicted prisoners by religion, % (31 December 1998-2024; none for 2016)

India: share of population by religion, % (census 2011)

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