by Obianuju Mbah, Christian Today
Protestant churches are experiencing a complex pattern of growth and decline across the world, with Western nations – particularly the UK – emerging as key areas of concern, according to new findings from the Pew Research Center.
The data, drawn from surveys conducted in 24 countries in 2024, highlights how “religious switching” – when someone adopts a different faith from the one they were raised in – continues to reshape Christianity globally.
In the UK, Protestantism has been notably affected by this trend, with more people leaving than joining it.
Pew found that while about 51% of UK adults say they were brought up Protestant, only around 28% continue to identify with the faith as adults.
By contrast, roughly 23% of those raised in the faith say they have moved away from it, while just 3% have joined it as adults.
The UK joins countries such as Sweden and Germany in recording some of the most significant net losses among Protestant populations.
Across the study, former Protestants make up at least 10% of the population in 9 of the 24 countries analysed, underlining the scale of movement away from the tradition.
A key driver behind this shift is the rise in religious disaffiliation.