AS HALLOWEEN looms, a look at the most recent census figures shows there is a surprising number of people living in Stroud who identify as witches.

In the 2021 Census 31 people living in Stroud selected Wicca as their religion - down from 32 in the 2011 census.

The religion developed in England during the first half of the 20th century with its name deriving from the Old English wicca and wicce, the masculine and feminine term for witch.

Across England and Wales, more than 12,800 people opted for Wicca as their religion - a slight jump from 11,800 in 2011.

Separately, the number of people selecting Witchcraft as their religion has fallen from nearly 1,300 in 2011 to under 1,100 in the recent census.

The figures show five people selected Witchcraft as their religion in Stroud in 2021.

While the witch population has not soared, there has been a 30 per cent rise in pagans - from 56,600 people in 2011 to over 73,700 two years ago.

In Stroud, 286 people said they were pagan.

Halloween, which has roots in paganism, originated from the Celtic celebration of Samhain that marked the end of summer and the beginning of the winter. 

Celts believed the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred on this night.

In addition, Satanism is also on the rise across the nation. 

Nearly 5,100 people identified as Satanists in the recent census – more than doubling from 1,900 a decade prior.

Despite the name, not all Satanists believe in a literal Lucifer.

Instead, it is often a metaphor for questioning authority and rejecting mainstream religion.

In Stroud, seven people said they were Satanists.