LONDON IN NUMBERS

1. London is in the top tier of world cities 

Among world cities, London has been ranked...  

  • 1st for cultural vibrancy, visitor demand, talent base and appeal

  • 5th for unemployment and labour market participation (pre-Covid), safety and security

  • 6th for all-round affordability, commuting and congestion. 

  • 30th for neighbourhood child safety

  • 36th for happiness and wellbeing (Source)

  • In global surveys, including of 209k people in March 2021, London is consistently voted the most desirable to work in (Source)

London-In-Numbers 1.png

2. A tipping point of 10% of London’s population following Christ would require significant church planting 

 

London Project seeks to start, serve and strengthen 400 disciple-making, church-planting, gospel-centred churches across London. After decades of decline, London’s population has grown sharply since the early 1990s and is projected to increase by an additional two million by 2050.

London-In-Numbers 2.png

  • 1 million: the increase of those saying they have ‘no religion’ in the last decade
    (Source: ‘Religious London’)

3. London has significant inequalities, exacerbated by Covid 

  • 29% live in poverty (compared to 22% in UK)

  • 43% London children living in poverty (compared to 33% in England) 

  • 56% average net income spent on housing (compared to 37% in England)

  • 74% of adult Londoners in poverty are in working families

  • The wealthiest 10% of the population own 61% of the wealth (compared with 40% in the rest of GB)

  • The poorest 50% own just 5% of the wealth (compared to 10% in the rest of GB)
    (Sources: Trust for London, Measuring Poverty 2020)

  • London has more billionaires than any other global city, and a higher proportion in poverty than anywhere in the UK. At the start of 2021, a quarter of Londoners would be unable to borrow or meet an unexpected expense of £500 (Source)

  • Three in five White British Londoners are homeowners, compared to only one in three Londoners from other ethnic groups (Source)

4. London has a higher proportion of people of faith than other cities in the UK 

  • 62% of Londoners identify as religious (53% in Great Britain)

  • 30% of Christian Londoners attend services and pray regularly (13% in GB) 

  • 38% of Christians in London attend a service at least once a month (17% in GB)
    (Source: ‘Religious London’)

  • 98.5k Londoners joined church from 2005-2012, a 16% increase

  • 8.7% population attend church on Sundays in Inner London, compared with 4.9% in the rest of the country
    (Source: UK Church Statistics, 2021)

  • 61% London churches in 2012 were evangelical, compared to 38% in England
    (Source: London Church Census)

5. Christians are active in their community, and the reputation of the church is improving 

  • 63% of religious Londoners volunteer (compared to 21% Londoners in a normal year).  (Source: ‘Religious London’)

  • 74% of Londoners in April 20 agreed that ‘faith leaders have a role to play in providing moral guidance and spiritual leadership during times of national crisis’. (Source)

  • 25% non Christians agree that churches are making a positive difference, up from 19% a few years ago. (Source)

  • The Theos report on the integrated relationships between social action, discipleship and church growth found that, particularly in more deprived communities, the long-term presence of the church contrasts starkly with the approach of statutory organisations and charities, which may only work in the area for a short time then leave when the initiative’s funding changes. Church volunteering time has been ‘measured’ by the National Churches Trust as worth £850 million.

6. The number of churches in London is growing

Church planting is happening in many forms, resourced by networks, colleges and organisations, often across denominational boundaries. There are fewer faith buildings in London than there are churches, although many buildings are used by more than one congregation. The 2021 census will give a clearer picture of those who identify themselves as Christian.

  • The London Church Census in 2012 found that after 5 years nearly half of church plants (45%) had doubled in number, and 75% were financially self-supporting. Of those attending, 2 in 5 were new to church. (Source)

Number of Churches in London

  • The number of churches in London has been growing for the last 40 years. It was measured as 3350 in 1979, 3862 in 1998, up to 4791 in 2012 and now stands at at least 5031. (Source: UK Church Statistics)

  • 17% increase in Londoners attending church from 1998 to 2012 (from 617k to 721.5k). (Source: UK Church Statistics)

  • 117,000 worship in London’s churches on days other than Sunday. (Source)

  • 70% growth in adult membership in the Diocese of London 1990-2010. (Source)

  • 87 new Diocese of London worshipping communities since 2018. (Source)

7. London is ethnically diverse - and black and ethnic diaspora churches are growing fastest

  • 41% Londoners are black or ethnic minority (37% born outside UK)
    (Sources on London ethnicity 1, 2, 3, 4)

  • 56% churchgoers are Black in Inner London (and a third in London as a whole)

  • Half of the UK’s Pentecostal Christians live in London. RCCG has more than 200 churches in London.

  • 1 in 5 black Londoners go to church each week

  • 14% London’s church services are not in English (Source)

8. London is a young city - and its church is a young church

  • In the Church of England, London diocese is 61% aged 18-69, the highest in the country.

  • 64% of London churchgoers are in their 20s. (Source)

  • 1/3 of those in their 20s who attend church, attend in London. (Source)

  • 35.6 is the median age in London (compared to 40.3 across UK). The peak age for leaving London is 31

  • 18% of Londoners are in their 20s (vs 11% in Britain). 

  • In the next 30 years, London’s population has been projected to grow by 22 per cent – about two million more people. (Source: ‘London at a crossroads’)

  • 1/2 of under-35s say that throughout the later lockdown they regularly engaged in online faith- related activity. (Source)

Lastest update: May 2021