Decline in church attendance

The number of islanders regularly going to church in the Western Isles has declined over the past 30 years.

Some 12,000 worshippers attend services compared to about 21,000 in 1984, according to a new survey.

The drop of 9,000 may be partly attributed to the general reduction in the islands’ population along with the deaths of elderly church-goers.

But 44% of people in Western Isles still attend services - a figure vastly higher than any other area.

In the mid-80s some 17% of Scots went to church. Now only 7.2% attend.

Within a generation across Scotland, numbers have halved - from 854,000 to to just 390,000.

However, the last nationwide census - in 2011 - showed 2.9 million Scots belonged to the Christian faith.

Decline in Western Isles church attendance

16 April 2017

Western Isles

Population

Church attendance

% of population

1984

30,880

21,090

68.3

1994

29,810

17,510

58.7

2002

29,070

16,120

47.7

2016

27,130

12,020

44.3

2025

26,910

10,240

38.01

2016 Scottish Church Census

Lead researcher, Dr Peter Brierley, who conducted the Scottish Church Census across Christian denomination congregations said the main reason for decline is the death of people who go to church.

He said: “Part of the problem is the proportion of people in the church who are elderly is much greater than in the population of Scotland as a whole. So, you have a great number of churchgoers dying.”

If trends continue, another 2000 people will empty island pews by 2025.