UK's Zoroastrians: 3,738

When the national population census was conducted in 2001 in England and Wales, the question of religious affiliation distinguished Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs but grouped Bahai’s, Jains and Zoroastrians together under ‘other religions’ on the grounds that their numbers were significantly smaller. They were coded however for later analysis, notes the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) newsletter.

The office for National Statistics has now revealed that 3,738 individuals had declared themselves as Zoroastrians. It is conceivable that among the 19,306 who ticked the ‘other’ box without entering their religious identity, some may be Zoroastrians.

Including "a mere handful in Scotland and Northern Ireland, it is quite a revelation to note that there are a mere 4,000 who formally but freely identified themselves as Zoroastrians in the United Kingdom,” comments the newsletter.

The ZTFE which represents a community that makes common ground with the conservatives of Bombay is now facing data that belies the traditionalist contention that talk about the community’s demographic decline is no more than liberalist propaganda.

"The 2001 population census for England and Wales must be an eye opener for the Zoroastrian community in other overseas diasporas, where the estimate figures for Zoroastrians may be well below their estimated figures branded about. Let us therefore accept that we are not as many as we believe and that we face communal issues universally with lower numbers in mind,” advises the newsletter.