THE number of people in Ceredigion having no religion shows a big jump, according to latest census figures.

Statistics show that in 2021, 43.0 per cent of residents living in the county where pubs remained dry on Sundays until the 1980s reported being non-religious - up from 30.7 per cent in 2011.

The rise of 12.3 percentage points was the largest increase of all broad religious groups in Ceredigion.

Census monitors say that because the question about religious affiliation is voluntary and has varying response rates, caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses.

Across Wales, the percentage of residents who described themselves as having no religion increased from 32.1 per cent to 46.5 per cent.

In 2021, 46.7 per cent described themselves as Christian (down from 57.9 per cent), while 7.7 per cent did not state their religion (down from 8.8 per cent the decade before).

“There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as a changing age structure or residents relocating for work or education,” states the report.

“Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals chose to self-identify between censuses."

“Religious affiliation is the religion with which an person connects or identifies, rather than their beliefs or religious practice.”