The latest British census results found that the Jewish population of England and Wales has increased slightly, from 265,000 in 2011 to 271,000 in 2021, according to the UK Jewish News.
The 2021 census, compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), found that the while the Jewish community’s population has increased in the last decade, Jews have remained at 0.5 percent of the total population of England and Wales.
However, ONS noted that the results may not be completely accurate given that religion was a voluntary question, with 6 percent of respondents choosing not to answer.
The largest religious group on the 2021 census remained Christians, but for the first time less than half the population (46.2 percent) identified with the religion, down from 59.3 percent in 2011.
The census also found that 22 million residents of England and Wales reported having “no religion,” the second largest percentage.
Respondents who said they were Muslims increased from 2.7 million to 3.9 million people, and Hindus increased from 818,000 to one million.
Religion has been a question on the census since 2011.
“Few people today understand or appreciate just how important the census is. But there is nothing like it,” Dr. Jonathan Boyd, executive director of the Jewish Policy Reseach Insitute, told the news outlet. “Its extraordinary detail allows us to see and understand the UK’s entirely unique ways. It is, without question, the most important research exercise in the UK.”