More than four in ten people in East Devon say they have no religion, according to the results of the Census 2021. 

But just over 50 per cent described themselves as Christian – a higher proportion than the national average for England and Wales. 

For the first time, fewer than half the population – 46.2 per cent - said they were Christian, and the number who said they had no religion increased to 37.2 per cent. 

In East Devon, 41.9 per cent said they had no religion. 

The census also asked people about their ethnicity. In England and Wales as a whole, 81.7 per cent of residents identified as White, with the next commonest ethnic group Asian at 9.3 per cent. 

In East Devon, 97.4 per cent said they were White, one per cent said they were Asian, and there were very low numbers of people identifying as Black or from other ethnic groups. 

When it came to language, 98.11 per cent of those in East Devon said English was their first language. 

The latest Census 2021 figures on religion and ethnicity have been released today (Tuesday, November 29). The results of the census relating to the labour market, housing, education, sexual orientation and gender identity, and health/disability will be released over the next two months.