Acknowledgement of Sources

The category of ‘Other (please write in)’ was offered as a possible response in the 2001 Census questions on religious affiliation for respondents who wished to affirm their identification with a religion other than identifying themselves as Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim or Sikh.

Figures that derived from an analysis of this write-in data (which includes those for Bahá'ís, Jains and Zoroastrians in relation to whom there are separate sections on this website) are found in the Office for National Statistics’ Table M275 Religion (most detailed categories). This covers England and Wales only and is Crown Copyright, 2004. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO. While the absolute numbers quoted here are taken from Table M275, the grouping of them by various categories has been implemented by the editor of this website.

At the same time, it should be noted that some ‘minority’ religious groups that may have an historical relationship with ‘majority’ traditions are likely to have identified themselves with that ‘majority’ tradition in their response to the Census questions.

Short summaries of a range of some of these groups are included in P. Weller (ed.), Religions in the UK: A Directory, 2001-3 (Derby: Multi-Faith Centre at the University of Derby, 2001). However, for New Religious Movements, reference is made to E. Barker, New Religious Movements: A Practical Introduction (London: Home Office, 1990) and to the organisation INFORM (Information Network Focus on New Religious Movements).

Written by Professor Paul Weller