What percentage of Australia believe in God?
The 2021 Australian census data showed that 43.9% of Australians classify themselves Christian, 8.2% less in real terms than five years prior, The second-largest classification was the 38.9% who identified as "no religion".
Overall, 53.8% of the population nominated a religion, and 38.7% said they had no religion, compared with 56.1% and 37.3% respectively for Greater Capital Cities. The largest single religion in Australia was Western (Roman) Catholic, with 19.6% of the population or 4,994,187 people as adherents.
Only one in three (31%), however, consider Jesus' life to be extremely or very important to them personally. Religion in Australia is not dead. Two thirds of Australians (68%) currently follow a religion or have spiritual beliefs. A large proportion of the Australian population identify with Christianity (45%).
According to NORC of Chicago, 20.6% of Australians don't believe in God and never have, while 9.7% are "strong atheists". Of those aged under 28, 26.8% have never believed in God and just 14.7% are certain God exists.
They have far more faith than men in angels (63 per cent to 37 per cent), miracles (74 per cent to 52 per cent), heaven (67 per cent to 45 per cent), ESP (59 per cent to 39 per cent), and life after death (62 per cent to 44 per cent). But they are less convinced about UFOs (30 per cent to 38 per cent).
The latest census results are out and the number of Australians who selected “no religion” has risen again to 38.9%, up from 30.1% in 2016. This makes them the second-largest “religious group” after Christians, who make up 43.9% of the population, down from 52.1% in 2016.
Religion in Australia is diverse. In the 2021 national census, 43.9% of Australians identified with Christianity and 38.9% declared "no religion".
These statistics highlight an increasing rate of decline in Christianity and a trend that has continued since the 1960s. In 1971, Christians represented 86.2% of the Australian population. In 2021, Christians were down to 43.9% of the population.
Christianity was introduced with the European settlement of Australia in 1788. During the 19th century European settlers brought their own traditional Christian denominations to Australia. Patterns of migration over two centuries have shaped the profile of Christian affiliations in Australia.
Christianity was introduced to Australia by the first British settlers in the late 18th century. The Church of England (also known as the Anglican Church) began operating immediately and held a religious monopoly over the country. Eventually, other Christian denominations emerged, particularly the Catholic Church.
Which religion is declining in Australia?
But Christianity is on the decline in Australia. The number of people affiliated with Christianity decreased from 12.2 million (52.1%) in 2016 to 11.1 million (43.9%) in 2021.
Majority believe in God
Not only does most of Australia identify with Christianity, but more than half (55%) of the population believes in God, as defined as the Creator of the universe, the Supreme Being.
Christianity is the largest religion in Australia, with a total of 43.9% of the nation-wide population identifying with a Christian denomination in the 2021 census. The first presence of Christianity in Australia began with British colonisation in what came to be known as New South Wales in 1788.
Australia's major religion is Christianity with the major denominations, in order of size, being Catholic, Anglican, Uniting Church, Eastern Orthodox, Presbyterian and Reformed, Baptist and Pentecostal. 30% of the Australian population reported that they were either Anglican or Catholic in the 2021 Census.
Christianity is the most common religion in Australia, with over 40 per cent (43.9 per cent) identifying as Christian. This has reduced from over 50 per cent (52.1 per cent) in 2016 and from over 60 per cent (61.1 per cent) in 2011.
It almost seems as if shows like Supernatural avoid mentioning the Messiah because they want the characters they created to be the messiahs, not some supernatural force. (It's almost like they know that Jesus has already won the battle, and inserting Him into the storyline would make the ending too obvious.)
A 2023 Gallup International survey found that Sweden was the country with the highest percentage of citizens that stated they do not believe in God.
Hinduism is a third largest religion in Australia consisting of more than 684,002 followers, making up 2.7% of the population as of the 2021 census. Hinduism is the fastest growing religion in Australia mostly through immigration.
Studies in the 21st century suggest that, in terms of percentage and worldwide spread, Islam is the fastest-growing major religion in the world.
The United States has the largest Christian population in the world, followed by Brazil, Mexico, Russia, and the Philippines.
What are the main social issues that exist in Australia?
| No. | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Poverty |
| 2 | Rights of asylum seekers and refugees |
| 3 | Indigenous rights |
| 4 | Disability rights |
In Queensland, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory, freedom of religion is protected in statutory human rights charters. The antidiscrimination laws of all states and territories, with the exceptions of NSW and South Australia, contain a prohibition against discrimination on the grounds of religious belief.
While Christianity is currently the predominant religion in Latin America, Europe, Canada and the United States, the religion is declining in many of these areas, particularly in Western Europe, North America, and Oceania.
While he believes that some Catholics have turned away from the religion in light of the sexual abuse findings, others will remain loyal and want to be part of the push for reforms. Patterns in decline are the result of wider societal factors. For example, we no longer see churches as a central part of our communities.
Attendance at religious services
However, in 2021, around one in five Australians (21%) reported attending religious services frequently i.e., at least monthly. Among frequent attenders, 13% attended weekly or more often.
