C of E crisis as it loses 1.7m followers – and Islam gains 900,000: Former Archbishop Lord Carey warns: ‘Church is a generation from extinction’

‘The Church of England has suffered a dramatic slump in its followers, shocking new figures show.

Between 2012 and 2014, the proportion of Britons identifying themselves as C of E or Anglican dropped from 21 per cent to 17 per cent – a fall of about 1.7 million people.

Over the same period, the number of Muslims in Britain grew by nearly one million, according to a survey by the respected NatCen Social Research Institute.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey warned last night that unless urgent action was taken, the Church was just ‘one generation away from extinction’.’

Read more: C of E crisis as it loses 1.7m followers – and Islam gains 900,000: Former Archbishop Lord Carey warns: 'Church is a generation from extinction'