A YouGov survey that suggested a significant rise in church attendance in England and Wales has been withdrawn after some respondents were found to be fraudulent. The poll was central to the 'Quiet Revival' report published by the Bible Society last year, which claimed a resurgence in Christianity, particularly among young people.
YouGov said on Thursday that the data sample was flawed, with a number of respondents now identified as fraudulent. Chief executive Stephan Shakespeare apologised, stating that the Bible Society had accurately reported the data supplied, and that the survey would be rerun to obtain robust data.
The report had claimed 12% of adults in England and Wales attended church monthly in 2024, up from 8% in 2018, and that attendance among 18- to 24-year-olds rose from 4% to 16%. The Bible Society expressed deep disappointment that YouGov failed to activate key quality control technologies, undermining the reliability of the results.
Humanists UK chief executive Andrew Copson said the withdrawal was validation, stating there is no revival of Christianity in Britain. Professor David Voas of University College London criticised YouGov's opt-in online survey model, warning of bogus respondents and susceptibility to 'survey farmers' and AI chatbots.
Voas noted that the numbers did not add up and that attendance counts by denominations themselves contradicted the survey. He highlighted the difficulty of correcting misinformation once it spreads. The Church of England's latest attendance figures are due in coming weeks.
