FALMOUTH is one of the least religious places in Cornwall, according to a new survey.
Religion may be waning in Cornwall as whole, as the poll shows most people in the county do not agree that religion is the basis of morality.
A survey of 21,000 people carried out by the publisher UnHerd and pollster FocalData has uncovered deep religious divides between city and country, with diverse urban areas home to stronger religious sentiments.
Participants were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement "all morals are grounded in religious teachings", which UnHerd said may correspond to religiosity.
The responses were then analysed to create a model for each constituency based on the demographics of their populations.
More people disagreed with the statement than agreed in each of the six parliamentary constituencies that are in Cornwall.
Of these constituencies, Truro and Falmouth was deemed to be the least religious – 23 per cent agreed, compared to 42 per cent who did not, with the rest undecided.
This placed it 608th out of 632 areas, with UnHerd linking a higher ranking to more widespread religious belief.
At the other end of the scale was the constituency of St Austell and Newquay, which came in 384th place.
Here, 26 per cent of people backed the idea of faith-based morality, compared to 39 per cent who did not.
Across Britain, 34 per cent of people agreed with the statement while 32 per cent disagreed, with the rest undecided.
Westminster North in London came in at number one, with 41 per cent agreeing with the statement, and just 29 per cent disagreeing.
The area with the least faith was Edinburgh South, where 23 per cent of residents agreed compared to 49 per cent who disagreed.
Canon Giles Fraser, rector at St Mary’s Church in London’s Newington, said it was “no surprise” that faith was more rigorous in cities, especially those heavily shaped by immigration.
This is partly responsible for the more rapid decline in Christian congregations in rural areas, he said, while immigration from former colonies returned Christianity "back to the places that first sponsored its evangelisation".
He continued: “One familiar explanation for the religiosity of migrants is that faith is a way of maintaining a connection with the places and culture from which people have travelled.
“There may be something to this, but the bigger story is surely that the world is a much more religious place than the western secular imagination often recognises.
“If Brexit happens, and the UK is forced to face more towards a world outside of Europe, it will be engaging with a world that is far more religious than it is used to and perhaps comfortable with.”
The results and rankings for each constituency in Cornwall are:
384) St Austell and Newquay: 26 per cent agree, 39 per cent disagree
510) Camborne and Redruth: 25 per cent agree, 41 per cent disagree
540) North Cornwall: 25 per cent agree, 42 per cent disagree
554) South East Cornwall: 24 per cent agree, 41 per cent disagree
566) St Ives: 25 per cent agree, 43 per cent disagree
608) Truro and Falmouth: 23 per cent agree, 42 per cent disagree
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel