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In the reformed rites of the Church of England (after 1559) Confirmation served to mark a public adult affirmation of faith, a sign of belonging to the wider Church and as the time of admission to the Lord's Table. Confirmation is not a Biblical practice though all these are good purposes.
In recent years the number of people being confirmed as declined rapidly partly due to falling attendance, particularly amongst young people, and because of confused teaching in the Church about the purpose of confirmation.
1950 |
142,294 |
1951 |
139,431 |
1952 |
148,982 |
1953 |
154,548 |
1954 |
159,957 |
1955 |
162,848 |
1956 |
167,403 |
1957 |
172,288 |
1958 |
173,177 |
1959 |
182,721 |
1960 |
190,713 |
1961 |
191,042 |
1962 |
181,623 |
1963 |
169,103 |
1964 |
156,583 |
1965 |
146,031 |
1966 |
140,134 |
1967 |
135,476 |
1968 |
125,294 |
1969 |
119,150 |
1970 |
113,005 |
1971 |
109,840 |
1972 |
106,216 |
1973 |
100,227 |
1974 |
96,379 |
1975 |
95,349 |
1976 |
94,318 |
1977 |
95,969 |
1978 |
95,969 |
1979 |
95,969 |
1980 |
97,620 |
1981 |
90,300 |
1982 |
84,566 |
1983 |
81,951 |
1984 |
79,433 |
1985 |
76,934 |
1986 |
72,652 |
1987 |
65,853 |
1988 |
63,895 |
1989 |
61,656 |
1990 |
59,616 |
1991 |
55,246 |
1992 |
57,374 |
1993 |
51,784 |
1994 |
48,024 |
1995 |
43,667 |
1996 |
42,768 |
1997 |
40,881 |
1998 |
39,926 |
1999 |
37,469 |
2000 |
36,387 |
2001 |
33,400 |
2002 |
33,400 |
2003 |
31,800 |
2004 |
30,400 |
2005 |
29,800 |
See Also
Brian Green analysed the reasons for the decline in Confirmation in an article published in Cross†Way No 87 2003 entitled 40 Year Nose Dive
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