However, the report also warns that mosques cannot survive just on the goodwill of volunteers and now need to professionalise and invest as much in human resources as they have done in physical resources.
Ayaan Institute director Jahangir Mohamed said: “Mosques have been central to Muslim life in Britain for over a century. Far more than places of worship, they serve as vital community institutions. They are also spaces for education, social support, charity and community mobilisation.
“This is a landmark report. No previous research has established this number of registered charity mosques or produced this level of financial data. We hope it will provide community leaders and policy makers with an accessible overview of how mosques across the UK and United Kingdom are operating.
The study analyses 1,799 registered charity mosques — representing 65.5% of the estimated 1,844 mosques across the UK — and offers critical insights into their role, structure, and challenges.
The research highlights the resilience of Britain’s Muslim community while identifying key areas for improvement to strengthen the mosque sector.
One of the report’s most significant contributions is its dismantling of pervasive myths about mosques in Britain.
Far-right narratives and media portrayals have often suggested an exaggerated presence of mosques, fueling fears of a “takeover” of British society.
The Ayaan Institute’s data paints a starkly different picture: mosques constitute just 4% of all places of worship in the UK, compared to 89.5% for churches.
With Muslims making up 5.5% of the UK population, the report argues that mosques are, if anything, underrepresented relative to the community they serve.
The vast majority of mosque funding comes from the British Muslim community itself, through donations and voluntary efforts.
