YouGov Retracts Church Attendance Survey Over Fraudulent Data

YouGov has retracted a widely reported survey showing increased church attendance in England and Wales after discovering fraudulent respondents. The report, titled 'Quiet Revival,' claimed that the share of adults attending church at least once a month had risen to 12% from 8% in 2018.

The survey, conducted for the Bible Society by YouGov, was retracted following an internal review that found specific demographic groups contained fraudulent respondents. According to multiple sources, quality control measures meant to eliminate such responses were not applied due to human error. The report had driven significant public discussion among Christians and in media outlets.

The Bible Society expressed disappointment but emphasized that they had accurately reported the data provided by YouGov. Academics have questioned the findings, pointing out discrepancies with other data and highlighting vulnerabilities in YouGov's methodology. Both organizations have apologized for the error and plan to rerun the survey.

Experts warn that online opt-in surveys are becoming increasingly susceptible to bogus data as respondents use AI to fill in questionnaires at speed. David Voas, a quantitative social scientist at University College London, said this episode undermines confidence in polls and makes it difficult to correct misinformation once it spreads.

The Church of England's latest statistics show that while regular worshippers have increased slightly to 1 million in 2024, numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels. Humanists UK welcomed the withdrawal of the data, asserting there is no revival of Christianity in Britain.