Most young people in Britain think that morality means looking after your family or putting others first, a BBC poll suggests.

Almost 600 16 to 24-year-olds were asked to choose the most important moral issue from eight options, with 59% opting for caring for family.

Some 4% said having religious faith or beliefs was the most important.

The poll also suggests 51% of young people believe they are less concerned with morals than their parents.

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The poll, commissioned by BBC Religion and Ethics, asked young people to choose their top moral issue, with options including buying ethical products, being faithful to a partner and caring for the environment.

Looking after family was the top choice, with "putting others first" coming some way behind in second.

Paying taxes

Four per cent listed practising a religion as the most important moral issue, the same percentage as said paying taxes.

When asked for the least important issue, religion came out on top with a third of respondents citing it.

New figures from the British Social Attitudes survey - published alongside the poll - suggest that about half of Britons as a whole have a religious affiliation, sharply down from 20 years ago when it was two-thirds.

Barely a quarter of young people now identify themselves as religious.

Of the eight moral issues, the poll found:

59% of those questioned said looking after their family was most important

12% said it was putting others first

8% cited being faithful to a partner

5% listed caring for the environment

4% cited having religious faith

4% felt paying taxes was most important

4% said playing a part in the local community

1% listed buying ethical products

The poll was carried out by TNS BMRB to coincide with the opening of the BBC's Re:Think Festival.

The festival takes place in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Wednesday and Thursday and will include a debate on the relationship between science and religion between Professor Richard Dawkins and the country's Chief Rabbi, Dr Jonathan Sacks.