RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – The number of Pagans in the British Armed Forces has gone up from 270 in 2020, to 660 in 2024.
Telegraph reported there are 50 self-declared Heathens, Wiccans, Druidists and Odinists.
The figures, from a freedom of information request, show the large majority are in the army and that Paganism is now the fifth largest religious group, behind Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. There are 185,980 personnel in the Armed Forces.
The Telegraph goes into a detailed discussion about whether the relaxation of rules allowing beards will be an advantage to Pagans, only to quote the Pagan Federation saying there is no spiritual or religious aspect of beards.