Jews are the most likely of any religious group to believe religious freedom has got worse in the UK, according to a new survey.

In a poll conducted for the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life, 82 per cent agreed with the statement that religious freedom had declined in Britain over the last 10 years - compared with 54 per cent of Christians, 46 per cent of Muslims and 38 per cent of Hindus.

The Jewish sample was small — 19 out of 2,064 people polled.

All of the Jews polled said they had friends who had a different faith or belief about God - compared with 75 per cent of Muslims and Christians.

Almost all Jews (97 per cent) agreed that it was important for children to learn about other faith in school - compared with 65 per cent of Hindus and 50 per cent of those with no faith.

Eighty per cent of Jews agreed that the UK is a Christian country — compared to 64 per cent of Christians polled, 63 per cent of Hindus and 38 per cent of Muslims.

Charlotte Littlewood, senior research associate for the IIFL, said, "It is painful but not surprising to see that in the post-October 7 climate that British Jews are 40 per cent more likely to sense a worsening in freedom of religion in the UK than other faith groups in the UK.

“Considering they are the group most likely to have friends of another faith and most engaged with learning about other faiths than their own, it is a great shame that we have seen Jewish students feel let down by their universities and members of the community let down by the police when it comes to ensuring their safety and freedoms.”