UK Christians are happier with their lives than those without any faith, a new poll has found.
In the survey of 10,000 adult Brits by the Belonging Forum, nearly three-quarters of Christians (72%) and members of the Church of England (73%) said they were satisfied with their lives.
This was considerably higher than the two thirds (65%) of non-religious who said the same.
Faith was also linked to neighbourliness, with half of all religious people saying that they speak to their neighbours on a weekly basis - compared to 44% of the general population.
Other findings revealed a more mixed picture. While one in five of the general population (19%) said they had never felt lonely, this rose to 34% of Anglicans over the age of 65, but fell to 11% among younger Anglicans below the age of 34.
Anglicans aged 18 to 24 reported high levels of life satisfaction, with 78% agreeing that their lives are worthwhile. However, 7% said they did not have any close friends - higher than 3% for that the general average in this age cohort.
Anglicans aged 25 to 34 were more likely to say they felt lonely often or always (19%) compared to the general population (11%).
Kim Samuel, founder of the Belonging Forum, said, "Our extensive research identified several factors (housing status, disability status, age) that correlate with better social connectedness —and we found having faith is linked to a deep sense of belonging.
"This insight underscores the vital role that faith communities continue to play in nurturing social bonds and providing a sense of belonging and purpose in the UK. In particular, the Belonging Barometer unveiled that most Christians in the UK feel a strong sense of attachment to their community which reaps rewards.
"Christian hospitality and compassion shone through the data, particularly a sense of neighbourliness and inner contentment.
"The hope having a faith brings is a powerful and universal social force for good. Active and energetic communities thrive on loving your neighbour and serving others. Notably, houses of worship bring different generations together to learn from each other and create bonds—something that is, sadly, increasingly rare and which we will campaign for."
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