FURTHER evidence of the growing secularisation of Scotland was published yesterday in a religion-based analysis of the 2011 census that showed those people who classed themselves as having "no religion" were most likely to be economically active.

The statistical analysis is in line with the original report from the census that people of "no religion" were the most numerous grouping among those who answered the voluntary question on religion, with Church of Scotland adherents second and Roman Catholics third.

The findings were published by Scotland’s chief statistician Roger Halliday. This latest equality analysis of the census by independent statisticians is designed to be used by policy makers and stakeholders to target services and help tackle discrimination.

Responses from those who answered questions on religion led to a variety of findings about different religions and people of no religion.

Researchers concluded that Sikhs were most likely to be self-employed and be “managers, directors and senior officials” while Hindus were most likely to be employed in the top two occupational groups and Jewish people were most likely to be employed in the top three occupational groups, though this proportion fell over the decade.

People who identified as Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland and "no religion" were least likely to be in the top three occupational groups while Buddhists were most likely to be in "elementary occupations".

The majority of managers, directors and senior officials were male and the gender split was greatest for Muslims, with both Muslims and Sikhs most likely to be employed in the distribution, hotels and restaurants industry.

Hindu and Jewish people were most likely to be in the highest social grades and had the most representation in the highest two occupational categories.

Hindus were also most likely to work more than 37 hours per week, they had the highest qualifications and were most likely to be full-time students.

Those who recorded as Roman Catholic and Church of Scotland had the lowest qualifications and, along with those declaring "no religion", were least likely to be students.

Those identifying as Church of Scotland and Sikh were most likely to own their own homes and tended to live in houses, while Hindus were the least likely to own their homes and tended to live in flats.

Home ownership increased over the decade for those who recorded as Church of Scotland but fell for almost every other religion, with Roman Catholics most likely to live in socially rented accommodation.

Overcrowding was highest for Muslims and lowest for those who identified as Church of Scotland, while Sikhs had the most access to cars and Hindus had the least.

The latest research also looked at people’s ethnic background as declared in the census. The new analysis shows that people of Polish ethnicity in Scotland were the most economically active.

Indian people were the most likely to be highly qualified and working in the top professions. Pakistani people were the most likely to be self-employed, while Chinese and Arab people were the most likely to be students.

The analysis also revealed that African people were the most likely to be unemployed. Gypsies and Travellers were much more likely to have never worked or work in elementary occupations and be in the lowest social grade.

It also revealed that Polish people were most likely to be living in private rented accommodation. Polish, Bangladeshi and African households had the highest rates of over-crowding.

People from minority ethnic groups who lived in rented accommodation were on average more likely to be renting from a private landlord, rather than from a social landlord.

The analysts also examined the situation of disabled people in Scotland in 2011 and found that, compared to the general population in Scotland, disabled people were more likely to be economically inactive, to be in the lowest social grades and to have no qualifications.

The report on religion in the census states it “is intended as an overview and does not represent a definitive analysis of religion in Scotland.”