australia religion population

Religion in Australia Religion in Australia as declared in the 2021 census [1] [2] No religion (38.9%) Catholicism (20.0%) Protestantism (18.1%) Other Christian (5.8%) Islam (3.2%) Hinduism (2.7%) Buddhism (2.4%) Sikhism (0.8%) Other religions (0.9%) Not stated or unclear (7.2%) Religion by country Africa Asia Europe North America Oceania [39], European culture and Christianity have had a significant impact on Indigenous Australians. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. [92], The 1996 Australian Census lists Bah membership at just under 9,000. Adelaide is known as the "City of Churches", but churches extend far into the Australian Outback, as at the historic Lutheran Mission Chapel at Hermannsburg, Northern Territory. statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. The overwhelming majority (94.7%) of Jains live inside the state capitals, primarily Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.[102]. While fewer people are reporting their religion as Christian, more are reporting 'no religion'. Below is a look at the religious composition of Australia. These increases reflect Australias migration trends. Buddhism is now one of the fastest growing religions in Australia. In 2021, 93.8% of people affiliated with Other religions were either born overseas or had at least one parent born overseas. Answering this question has always been optional but is answered by nearly all respondents. The Atheist, Agnostic, and Nonreligious group is increasing, as previously mentioned, in large part within males and young adults as well as people who have obtained higher levels of education. [103] This view is prominent among Australia's youth, who were ranked as the least religious worldwide in a 2008 survey conducted by The Christian Science Monitor. [91], Hindus numbered 684,000 in the 2021 census, making Hinduism the fourth largest religious or non-religious affiliation one of the fastest growing religions in Australia (12.0% per year since 2011). [92] According to Jennifer Taylor, a historian at Sydney University, it is among Sydney's four most significant religious buildings constructed in the twentieth century. As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. Rationalist interests in Australia are represented nationally by the Rationalist Society of Australia. The overall consequences of this activity contributed to the decline of indigenous languages and beliefs, the extent to which are still being determined and recorded. "[28] An example of an HREOC response to such views is the IsmaU project, which examines possible prejudice against Muslims in Australia since the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US and the Bali bombings.[29]. [45] In recent times, Christians such as Fr Ted Kennedy of Redfern,[46] Jesuit human rights lawyer Fr Frank Brennan[47] and the Josephite Sisters have been prominent in working for Aboriginal rights and improvements to standards of living.[48]. The congregation appointed its first rabbi, Ehud Bandel in 2006. There was a Lutheran population of German descent in South Australia. Almost 126,000 people who arrived in Australia between 2016 and 2021 affiliated with Islam. By: Published: November 30, 2021; In the west of Australia there is a bunch of area that has no religion at all. In 2021, while the proportion of people reporting to have No religion increased for all age groups, the highest proportional increase was people aged 65 years and over. In the late 18th Century, Christianity was introduced by the British. In 1999, Kehilat Nitzan, Melbourne's first Conservative (Masorti) congregation was established, with foundation president John Rosenberg. [9], Indigenous Australians had their own religious traditions of the Dreaming when British colonisation started in 1788. . Notably, the constitution does not include a bill of rights and, as a result, Australia's fundamental law has been criticised for its lack of explicit protection for several rights and freedoms. australia religion population. Atheist interests in Australia are represented nationally by the Atheist Foundation of Australia. [2] In the 19th century, Hindus first came to Australia to work on cotton and sugar plantations. 2000s: Humanitarian entrants from Africa and Middle East; skilled migrants from North-east and Southern Asia(1). Following these two congregations, a number of other Liberal synagogues have been founded in other cities.[90]. Humanist interests in Australia are represented nationally by the Council of Australian Humanist Societies. This makes them the second-largest "religious group" after Christians, who make up 43.9% of the population, down from 52.1% in 2016.Australia is often described as a secular country and this . Major religion(s): Country major religions. "Popular Religion in Australia in the 1950s: A Study of Adelaide and Brisbane. However, under the leadership of Ada Phillips, a sustained liberal congregation, Temple Beth Israel, was established in Melbourne. Among Christians, 55.2% were Catholics, 4.9% were Orthodox Christians (mostly belonging to the Eastern Orthodox Church), 3.8% were Protestants, while the remaining 4.2% were other Christians, belonging to other denominations . In 2021, there were nearly 700 thousand people in the Christianity nfd category (688,400), an increase of 75 thousand since 2016 (76,100). Australia is becoming more religiously diverse. The Christian footprint in Australian society and culture remains broad, particularly in areas of social welfare and . Indigenous Australians of (Arnhem Land) (ib Northern Australia) retain stories, songs and paintings of trade and cultural interaction with boat-people from the north. Of the smaller religions, Pagan religions 29,328, the Bah Faith at 12,000, Humanism about 7000. Religion in Australia - statistics & facts Australia is a secular country with a diverse migrant population and over 120 faiths, yet Australia has traditionally been a majority Christian. By 1901 apart from the indigenous population and the descendants of gold rush migrants, Australian society was predominantly Anglo-Celtic, with 40% of the population being Anglican, 23% Catholic, 34% other Christian and about 1% professing non-Christian religions. These cultures overlapped to a greater or lesser extent, and evolved over time. In the 1981 Census, data on Buddhism was released for the first time in response to the arrival of large numbers of Buddhists as Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s. Torres Strait Islander religion bore similarities to broader Melanesian spirituality. [83][84] Notable Australian Muslims include boxer Anthony Mundine; community worker and rugby league star Hazem El Masri; cricketer Usman Khawaja and academic Waleed Aly. Women reporting no religion were more likely to have lesser children than women reporting a religion. Due to religious freedom, it is illegal to discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of their religious beliefs. While NSW and Victoria had higher proportions of religious affiliation with Islam and Hinduism than other states and territories in 2021, the state with the highest growth rate in these religions since 2016 was Tasmania. This is followed by Buddhism (2.5%), Islam (2.2%), Hinduism (1.3%), and Judaism (.5%). The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) is able to inquire into allegations of discrimination on religious grounds. Christian churches organised missions during this period, intended to "civilise" Aboriginal communities and spread Christianity. A significant proportion of recent Asylum seekers arriving by boat have been Muslims fleeing the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. Nonetheless, despite their significant role in Australia prior to the establishment of rail and road networks, the formulation of the White Australia policy at the time of Federation made immigration difficult for the 'Afghans' and their memory slowly faded during the 20th century, until a revival of interest began in the 1980s.[67]. In 2021, Tasmania had the highest proportion with half (50%) of the population reporting to have no religion. Use Ask Statista Research Service. The number of Yezidis in Australia increased from 63 people in 2016 to 4,123 in 2021 (an increase of 6,444%). At present many Hindus are well-educated professionals in fields such as medicine, engineering, commerce and information technology. Learn more about how Statista can support your business. Statista. Other ethnicities can also be found, though in smaller numbers: Indian (1.7%), Greek (1.6%), Dutch (1.2%), and Other (5.3%). However, there is a wide range of Orthodox congregations, including Mizrachi, Chabad and Adass Israel congregations. In the past 50 years this proportion has been steadily declining. Countryaah: Population statistics for 2020 and next 30 years in Australia, covering demographics, population graphs, and official data for growth rates, population density, and death rates. The narrow groups, in turn, are made up of religious groups which is the third and most detailed level of the classification. This was an increase of over 600 thousand (617,800) since 2016. From 2016 to 2021, Anglican affiliation had the largest drop in number of all religious denominations from 3.1 million to 2.5 million people. Office Location. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set The Jewish population has increased slightly in recent times[87] due to immigration from South Africa and the former Soviet Union. From 2016 to 2021, the highest increase was in responses coded to the supplementary category, Christianity nfd (not further defined). The results of the 2011 census indicated that Christianity is the most popular religion in Australia. Following the 11 September attacks, associations drawn between the political ideology of Osama Bin Laden and the religion of Islam have stirred debate in some quarters in Australia regarding Islam's relationship with the wider community with some advocating greater emphasis on assimilation, and others supporting renewed commitment to diversity. Answering this question has always been optional but is answered by nearly all respondents. 'Not stated' responses jumped at this point. Show publisher information There are 13.2 million Christians in Australia (61.1% of the population. Religion. Australias religious profile has been shaped by waves of migration. The people of this country have been practicing religion in some form for over a thousand years, beginning with the Aboriginal populations. (1993, 2001), Living Religion, Pearson Education Australia Pty Ltd, (Malaysia). Urban churches, such as the Wayside Chapel (1964) in Sydney, differed markedly from traditional ecclesiastical designs. The census question about religion is optional, and asks "What is the person's religion? May 12, 2021 Download [130 KB ] Translations . If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. Almost 40% of the population identified as having no religion, up from 30% in 2016, and 22% in 2011. . Until 1945, the vast majority of Catholics in Australia were of Irish descent, causing the British majority to question their loyalty to the British Empire. Aboriginal beliefs and spirituality, even among those Aboriginal peoples who identify themselves as members of a traditional organised religion, are intrinsically linked to the land generally and to certain sites of significance in particular. [58] In 1901, the Australian Constitution guaranteed Separation of Church and State. [3] [19], The first chaplain, Richard Johnson, a Church of England cleric, was charged by Governor Arthur Phillip with improving "public morality" in the colony, and he was also heavily involved in health and education.[20]. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2022 worldatlas.com, The Historical and Ongoing Persecution Of Gypsies In Europe, The 7 Kindest Cities In The United States, The 10 Largest Universities In The United States, 9 Most Sacred Sites From Around The Globe, Christian other than Catholic or Anglican. The "Other" ethnicity includes individuals from many countries, particularly European and Asian. Quang Minh Temple in Braybrook, Melbourne, Victoria gets about 2,000 people through every Sunday and gives a free vegetarian meal to about 600 people. From 2016 to 2021, the highest growth in the number of people reporting to have no religion was in Queensland and Tasmania. More data related to this article can be found in thedata downloads on theCultural diversity: Censustopic page. Before 1901, some Muslim sailors and prisoners came to Australia on convict ships. Religion in Australia as declared in the 2021 census [25] No religion (38.9%) Catholicism (20.0%) Protestantism (18.1%) Orthodoxy (2.1%) Other Christian (3.7%) Islam (3.2%) Hinduism (2.7%) Buddhism (2.4%) Other religions (1.7%) Not stated or unclear (7.2%) Main article: Religion in Australia Australia is becoming more religiously diverse. Catholic - 22.6%. Some of these are now more widely practiced than the original religions of the area. In 2021, Yezidis were mainly located in regional locations in Queensland and NSW. As in many Western countries, the level of active participation in church worship is much lower than this; weekly attendance at church services is likely to be under 1 million, about 4% of the population. Sep 27, 2022 As of March 31, 2022, there were approximately 8.13 million residents in the New South Wales region in Australia. Australia is an ethnically diverse country which lends to its religious composition. A notable period of sectarianism re-emerged during the First World War and the 1916 Easter Uprising in Ireland,[55] but sectarian division declined after World War II. Christianity nfd includes responses containing enough information to be coded to Christianity but not to a specific denomination. Since then, the number of responses in this category has grown from 181,900 (1.0% of Australians) in 1996. These areas are designated regional refugee settlement locations as part of the Humanitarian Settlement Program(3). In 2021, the proportion was 38.9%, an increase from 30.1% in 2016, representing an increase of more than 2.8 million people. Despite this shift, in 2021, almost two-thirds (64.2%) of people in this age group were affiliated with Christianity. As at the 2018 census, the majority of New Zealand's population is of European descent (70 percent), with the indigenous Mori being the largest minority (16.5 percent), followed by Asians (15.3 percent), and non . The 1911 Census form asked each person to state their religion. Nor would it block federal legislation on religion, aside from that establishing an official religion of Australia. Those of Chinese ethnicity represent 3.6% of the population and the Aboriginal, and Native Australians are now only 3%. The Global Atheist Convention, a prominent atheist event, has been held in Melbourne. The increase of Islamic affiliation can also be largely attributed to recent migration. Almost 40 per cent (38.9 per cent) of Australia's population reported having no religion in the 2021 Census, an increase from 30 per cent (30.1 per cent) in 2016 and 22 per cent (22.3 per cent) in 2011. [101], Jainism is currently the fourth fastest growing religion in Australia, recording 4,050 adherents in 2016 and growing an average of 7.7% per year. "'Sailing in Stormy Waters': Archbishop Matthew Beovich and the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide in the 1960s. Register in seconds and access exclusive features. Many who remained worked in small business, as camel drivers, merchants and hawkers, selling goods between small rural communities. In 2021, Catholicism decreased to 20% (from 22.6% in 2016). There had been short-lived efforts to establish Reform congregations as early as the 1890s. [110], In the 2011 census, 32,083 Australians identified their religion as a Pagan religion including 8,413 people who identified their religion as Wicca or Witchcraft.[111]. In 2013, Labor MP Ed Husic became Australia's first Muslim member of Cabinet, briefly serving as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Broadband in the short lived Second Rudd Government.[85]. [37], Prior to British colonisation in Australia, the animist beliefs of Indigenous Australian peoples had been practised for millennia. The population estimate as of 31 March 2021 was 25,799 431 people. Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Industry and market insights and forecasts, Key figures and rankings about companies and products, Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about countries and regions, Market forecast and expert KPIs for 600+ segments in 150+ countries, Insights on consumer attitudes and behavior worldwide, Business information on 60m+ public and private companies, Detailed information for 35,000+ online stores and marketplaces. An increase in people reporting to have No religion in 2021 indicates that some people have changed from being affiliated with a religion since the last Census in 2016. [4] This figure dropped to 7.2% in 2021.The religious views of those people are not known, so it is not proper to group them together with people who state that they have no religion instead, all the census figures about religion should be treated with corresponding confidence levels. Although there is no established church or religion, the vast majority of the population, 61%, identifies with one of the branches of Christianity. People reporting to have No religion were younger than people affiliated with Christianity. The fastest growing religious classifications over the fifteen years between 2006 and 2021 were: Meanwhile, all Christian denominations combined decreased from 63.9% to 43.9%. The largest of these denominations, Greek Orthodox, accounted for 1.5% of Australians in 2021. Share of people who think belief in God is necessary to be moral by country 2019, Share of adults who say belief in God is necessary in order to be moral and have good values worldwide in 2019, by country, Facebook: quarterly number of MAU (monthly active users) worldwide 2008-2022, Quarterly smartphone market share worldwide by vendor 2009-2022, Number of apps available in leading app stores Q3 2022. [73], Today, over 604,000 people in Australia identify as Muslim, with diverse communities concentrated mainly in Sydney and Melbourne. In 1998 the HREOC addressed the right to freedom of religion and belief in Australia against article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, stating that "despite the legal protections that apply in different jurisdictions, many Australians suffer discrimination on the basis of religious belief or non-belief, including members of both mainstream and non-mainstream religions, and those of no religious persuasion. "Share of Population in Australia in 2016, by Religion. Sikhism has grown in Australia particularly over the past ten years. Since 1971, this percentage has progressively increased to 38.9% in 2021. The population of New Zealand in 2020 was 4,822,233, a 0.82% increase from 2019. [80] After a series of controversies, Sheikh Taj El-Din Hilaly retired as Grand mufti of Australia in 2007 and was replaced by Fehmi Naji El-Imam AM. ", Hilliard, David. Even more come to the Nan Tien Temple, or "Southern Paradise Temple", in Wollongong, New South Wales, began construction in the early 1990s, adopting the Chinese palace building style and is now the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere. Technically, this article does not affect the states' authority to legislate on religion. Understanding religious affiliation A question on religion has been included in all Australian censuses since 1911. Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups (ASCRG), Understanding supplementary codes in Census variables, data downloads on theCultural diversity: Censustopic page, www.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-subsite/files/immigration-history.pdf, www.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-subsite/Pages/2019-Feb/statement-on-abc-four-corners-reporting.aspx, www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/delivery-the-humanitarian-settlement-program, Secular Beliefs and Other Spiritual Beliefs and No Religious Affiliation, nfd. This was 0.2% of the population. [15] Large numbers of Irish Catholics were transported to Australia through the British criminal justice system. With 30 . See 7[36]. For the purposes of this article, No religion refers to the broad group Secular Beliefs and Other Spiritual Beliefs and No Religious Affiliation. In 2021 almost half (48.4%) of people aged 25-34 years reported to have No religion. Secular Beliefs and Other Spiritual Beliefs and No Religious Affiliation. [51], Notable Australian Christians[52] have included: Mary MacKillop educator, founder of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and the first Australian to be recognised as a saint by the Catholic Church;[53] David Unaipon an Aboriginal writer, inventor and Christian preacher currently featured on the Australian $50 note;[54] Archbishop Daniel Mannix of Melbourne a controversial voice against Conscription during World War I and against British policy in Ireland;[55] the Reverend John Flynn founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, currently featured on the Australian $20 note;[56] Sir Douglas Nicholls Aboriginal rights activist, athlete, pastor and former Governor of South Australia;[57] Archbishop Stylianos Harkianakis Archbishop and primate of the Greek Orthodox church in Australia from 1975 to 2019. Source: Religious affiliation (RELP), Age (AGEP). By effectively limiting the immigration of practitioners of different faiths, this policy ensured that Christianity remained the religion of the overwhelming majority of Australians for the foreseeable future and, indeed, to the present day. 2016: The No religion response option was moved from the last to the first response option on the Census form. Most were Nepalese and Indian migrants. The second biggest group of religious identity are Atheists and Agnostics who make up 22.3% of the population. [104] In the 2021 census, the ABS categorised ~9,887,000 Australians (38.9%) as having no religion, up 16.6% in real terms from 4,796,800 (22.3%) in 2011. Christianity is the largest religion in Australia, with a total of 43.9% of the nation-wide population identifying with a Christian denomination.The presence of Christianity in Australia coincided with the foundation of the first British colony at New South Wales in 1788.. [21], There were at least 15 Jews in the First Fleet, 14 convicts and one "free" child. Morissey et al. Some Islamic leaders and social commentators claim that Islam has suffered from unfair stereotyping[75][76][77] Violence and intimidation was directed against Muslims and people of Middle Eastern appearance during southern Sydney's Cronulla riots in 2005. Australia's major religion is Christianity with the major denominations including Catholic, Anglican, Uniting Church, Presbyterian and Reformed, Eastern Orthodox, Baptist and Lutheran. A question on religion has been included in all Australian censuses since 1911. Please choose exactly 3. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. The 2006 census[106] shows 53 listed groups down to 5000 members, most of them Christian denominations, many of them national versions such as Greek, Serbian Orthodox and Assyrian Orthodox. Section 116 of the Constitution of Australia of 1901 states, "The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.". In 2005, the Howard Government established the Muslim Community Reference Group to advise on Muslim community issues for one year, chaired by Ameer Ali. In 1911, it was once as high as 95% of the population. Find out more information about the codes we use for responses that do not fit into main categories in Understanding supplementary codes in Census variables. The deaths of Australians in bombings by militant Islamic fundamentalists in New York in 2001, Bali in 20025 and London in 2005; as well as the sending of Australian troops to East Timor in 1999, Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003; the arrest of bomb plotters in Australia; and concerns about certain cultural practices such as the wearing of the Burkha have all contributed to a degree of tension in recent times[70][71] A series of comments by a senior Sydney cleric, Sheikh Taj El-Din Hilaly also stirred controversy, particularly his remarks regarding "female modesty" following an incident of gang rape in Sydney[72][73] Australians were among the targets of Islamic Fundamentalists in the Bali bombings in Indonesia and attack on Australian Embassy in Jakarta and the South East Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiyah has been of particular concern to Australians. The first census in 1911 showed 96% identified themselves as Christian. This increase indicates a shift away from religious and spiritual viewpoints, by either expressing their beliefs outside of traditional religious institutional settings or not holding a religious or spiritual viewpoint to express. Sydney's gothic design Great Synagogue, consecrated in 1878, is a notable place of Jewish worship in Australia. In, Australian Bureau of Statistics. (June 28, 2017). June 28, 2017. "The religious crisis of the 1960s: the experience of the Australian churches. Christianity was the most famous religious affiliation (52 percent of the population). In the later 20th century, distinctly Australian approaches were applied at places such as Jambaroo Benedictine Abbey, where natural materials were chosen to "harmonise with the local environment" and the chapel sanctuary is of glass overlooking rainforest. The Christian festivals of Easter and Christmas are public holidays. Christianity decreased by more than 1 million peoplebut is still Australias most common religion. This is defined as the religion to which a person nominates an association. This group has increased significantly over the last 100 years when it was once only reported by 1 in 250 people. They are common to people with Greek, Lebanese and Serbian ancestries. In 2021, the number of people who answered the religion question was 93.1% of the population, an increase from 90.9% in 2016. Most of the responses in the broad category, Secular Beliefs and Other Spiritual Beliefs and No Religious Affiliation, were in the sub-category No religion, so described. Since the early 2000s, the Abraham Conference convenes as an annual interfaith event between Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Source: Religious affiliation (RELP), Country of birth of person (BPLP). Religious freedom is an important value in Australian society. The Census religion question is designed to capture a persons religious affiliation. [7] Of the convicts and settlers, most were members of the established Church of England and Ireland with lesser numbers of Nonconformist Protestants, Catholics and other faiths. As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. The two major denominations, Anglican and Catholic, account for 36% of the Australian population. [100] Around 42% of Australia's Sikhs live in the state of Victoria. Anglican and Catholicism have been, and are, the largest Christian denominations in Australia. Around the year 2000, many churches and church organisations officially apologised for past failures to adequately respect indigenous cultures and address the injustices of the dispossession of indigenous people. ;[45] and former Senator Aden Ridgeway, the first Chairman of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry. There are around forty-three Hindu temples in Australia,[97] the Sri Mandir Temple in Auburn, Sydney being the first established in 1977.[98]. Department of Home Affairs, A History of the Department of Immigration Managing Migration to Australia. This group makes Australia one of the least religious countries in the developed world. This makes them the second-largest "religious group". [16] British Nonconformist Methodist, Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Baptists set up their own churches in the 19th century, as did Lutherans from Germany. 38.9% declared 'No Religion', and unspecified or not declared represented a further 7.2%. [4] This category includes agnosticism, atheism, humanism, rationalism, and people who are unaffiliated with any particular religion. The number almost doubled, from 2,498 to 4,947. Freedom of Religion was enshrined in Section 116 of the Constitution of Australia of 1901 but the Church of England was not disestablished in the colony of New South Wales until the Church Act of 1836. ", Hamilton, Celia. [43], Prominent Aboriginal activist Noel Pearson, himself raised at a Lutheran mission in Cape York, has written that missions throughout Australia's colonial history "provided a haven from the hell of life on the Australian frontier while at the same time facilitating colonisation". People identifying as Agnostic, Atheist, or Nonreligious are predominantly young, urban dwellers. There are two Catholic universities in Australia: the Australian Catholic University which opened in 1991 following the amalgamation of four Catholic tertiary institutions in eastern Australia, and the University of Notre Dame Australia based in Perth. Overseas born Muslims come from a great variety of nations and ethnic groups with large Lebanese and Turkish communities. Notable Australian Jews have included the Sir John Monash, the notable World War I general who opened the Maccabean Hall in Sydney in 1923 to commemorate Jews who fought and died in the First World War and who is currently featured on the Australian $100 note;[88] and Sir Isaac Isaacs who became the first Australian born governor general in 1930. [94] In 2001, the second edition of A Practical Reference to Religious Diversity for Operational Police and Emergency Services added the Bah Faith to its coverage of religions in Australia and noted that the community had grown to over 11,000. The first Catholic priests arrived in Australia as convicts in 1800, but the Castle Hill Rebellion of 1804 alarmed the British authorities and no further priests were allowed in the colony until 1820, when London sent John Joseph Therry and Philip Connolly. to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. Find your information in our database containing over 20,000 reports, Catholicism, Anglican, and the Uniting Church continue to have a strong community, immigration from the Middle East and Asia, proportion of people who do not identify with a religion, church attendance remaining relatively steady, religion is becoming a less important aspect, the majority of which are affiliated with a religion, Islamic schools have seen some considerable growth, prejudice is often disproportionately weighted on the Muslim community, euthanasia, however, is still hotly debated. The Dreaming is at once the ancient time of creation and the present day reality of Dreaming. Christian affiliation of people in Australia varied across generations. 1: Includes relatively small numbers of so-called 'Secular Beliefs' such as Atheism, Agnosticism, Humanism &, Rationalism, and Other Spiritual Beliefs such as New Age, Own Spiritual Beliefs, Theism(! Between 1000 and 5000, are the following religionsTaoism, Druse, Satanism, Zoroastrian, Rationalism, Creativity, Theosophy, Jainism. The rate of individuals identifying as Christians is declining. This includes the right not to profess a religion or belief. Since the arrival of traders, colonizers, and immigrants during the 1700s, many religions have been introduced to the area. Similarly, nearly 60 thousand (57,300) recent migrants were affiliated with Sikhism, and almost all (95.9%) were born in India. The term Other religions refers collectively to the religions Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and the broad group Other Religions (which includes narrow groups such as Australian Aboriginal Traditional Religions, Chinese Religions and Sikhism). Most of this group arrived in Australia in 2018 and 2017. The 2016 census recorded over 100 different religious affiliations in Australia. This proportion remained steady throughout the first half of the 20th Century, driven by the continued British migration to Australia. Buddhist temples can be very active. Religious affiliation is output in categories according to Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups (ASCRG). This decrease occurred across most ages, with the largest decrease for young adults (18-25 years). The collection of stories which it contains shaped Aboriginal law and customs. 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Australia Office of International Religious Freedom. Get in touch with us. The Church of England was removed from its power in 1836, yet other policies were later enacted that ensured Christianity would remain the dominant religion. In 2021, most of this group were people who answered Christian or Christianity to the religion question. "Catholic schools in Australia to receive funding increase," www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/11/08. This is a significant festival for Torres Strait Islanders, who are predominantly Christian. For example, the proportion of the population who reported they had no religion increased from 0.8% in 1966 to 6.7% in 1971 when instructions were added to the religion question. The religious affiliation of Generation X closely aligned with the proportions of the Australian population overall. Generally, older generations were more likely to be affiliated with Christianity and younger generations were more likely to have no religious affiliation. Hinduism in Australia 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. Smaller communities are dispersed among the other state capitals. Hinduism is a minority religion in Australia consisting of more than 684,002 followers, making up 2.7% of the population as of the 2021 census. The Bah Faith first arrived in Australia in 1922, and at less than 0.1% of the total population,[91] is one of the smaller religious minorities. What is the most common race in New Zealand? Until the 1930s, all synagogues in Australia were nominally Orthodox, with most acknowledging leadership of the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom. The second biggest group of religious identity are Atheists and Agnostics who make up 22.3% of the population. Following the conclusion of the British colonial period, Jews have enjoyed formal equality before the law in Australia and have not been subject to civil disabilities or other forms of state-sponsored anti-Semitism which exclude them from full participation in public life. Aboriginal art, story and dance continue to draw on these spiritual traditions. [69] General immigration, combined with religious conversion to Islam by Christians and other Australians, as well as Australia's participation in UN refugee efforts has increased the overall Muslim population. Christians (2.11) and Jews (2.17) had a moderate TFR, and Muslims had the highest fertility rate at 3.03. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. Bodhinyana Monastery is a Theravadin Buddhist monastery in the Thai Forest Tradition located in Serpentine, Western Australia. The Sydney Jewish Museum opened in 1992 to commemorate The Holocaust "challenge visitors' perceptions of democracy, morality, social justice and human rights".[89]. There also seems to be a relationship between religion and having children. [24] The tensions that came with the First Fleet continued into the 1960s: job vacancy advertisements sometimes included the stipulation of "Protestant preferred" or that "Catholics Need Not Apply". [50] According to the 2021 census, Buddhism has 615,800 adherents: 2.4% of the total population. Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from, Show sources information At the time of the British settlement, traditional religions were animist and also tended to have elements of ancestor worship. The Australian constitution consists of several documents, including the Statute of Westminster and the Australia Act of 1986, but there is only one reference to religion in the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia, signed into law in 1900. While people with no religion are more than 30% of the Australian population,[4] the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not provide information in the annual "1301.0 Year Book Australia" on religious affiliation as to how many people fall into each sub-category. [78] Inter-faith dialogues were also established by Christian and Muslim groups such as The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils and the National Council of Churches in Australia. According to the 2001 census, 5,244 persons or less than 0.03 percent of respondents reported practising Aboriginal traditional religions. Around 36% of Muslims are Australian born. Christmas, which recalls the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on 25 December during the Australian summer (although on 7 January by some Eastern Orthodox) and is an important cultural festival even for many non-religious Australians. In general, the likelihood of people becoming unaffiliated with a religion decreased with age. liability for the information given being complete or correct. In 1983, the High Court of Australia defined religion as "a complex of beliefs and practices which point to a set of values and an understanding of the meaning of existence". The gold rush of the 1850s led to significantly increased immigration and diversity of religious traditions, such as Irish Catholicism, Scottish Presbyterianism, and more English Anglicanism, among other religious traditions. As noted above, the Australian gold rushes brought in workers from China and the Pacific islands, as well as specialised workers from British India such as, from the 1860s onwards, the mainly Muslim "Afghan Cameleers". Are you interested in testing our corporate solutions? [79] Australia and Indonesia co-operated closely following the Bali-bombings, not only in law-enforcement but in improving education and cross-cultural understanding, leading to a marked improvement in relations. For more information see the Religious affiliation (RELP) variable. While the numbers of Buddhists continue to increase, in 2021 the main contributors to the increase in Other religions were: These increases were largely a result of recent migration from Southern and Central Asia. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. Subsequently, another synagogue linked to the United States Reform Movement, Temple Emanuel, was established in Sydney. From 2016 to 2021, the proportion of people who affiliated with Hinduism in Tasmania increased from 0.5% to 1.7% of the population. Australia's first mosque was built for them at Marree, South Australia in 1861. Other religions affiliations in 2021 were: Muslim 3.2%; Hindu 2.7%; Buddhist 2.4%; Sikh 0.8%; Jewish (0.4%);[4] and other religions 1.7%. As in many colonial situations the churches both facilitated the loss of Indigenous Australian culture and religion and also facilitated its maintenance. Among Australia's best-known Hindus is the singer Kamahl. Plant and Animal World in Australia The nature of Australia is exceptionally diverse. The governor of the time gave the responsibility of public health and education to a cleric of the Church of England. Today, the Catholic education system is the second biggest sector after government schools, with more than 750,000 students in 2018 (and around 21 per cent of all secondary school enrolments). This may be different from their practice of or participation in a religious activity. The 1996 census reported that almost 72 percent of Aboriginal peoples practised some form of Christianity and 16 percent listed no religion. For much of Australian history, the Church of England in Australia, now known as the Anglican Church of Australia, was the largest religious affiliation. ", Australian Bureau of Statistics, Share of population in Australia in 2016, by religion Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1133490/australia-share-of-population-by-religion/ (last visited December 12, 2022), Share of population in Australia in 2016, by religion, Available to download in PNG, PDF, XLS format, Number of people in Australia by religion 2016, Number of Christians in Australia by age group 2016, Number of Muslims in Australia by age group 2016, Number of Buddhists in Australia by age group 2016, Number of Hindus in Australia by age group 2016, Number of non religious in Australia by age group 2016, Number of schools in Australia 2021, by affiliation type, Number of independent schools in Australia 2019, by affiliation, Independent school student FTE enrolments in Australia 2019, by affiliation, Leading Islamic schools in Victoria, Australia 2010-2018, by student growth, Distribution of child care services in Australia by management type 2020, Percentage of charities Australia FY 2019, by activity, Expenditure of Islamic Relief Australia FY 2019, by expenditure type, Leading reasons for charitable donations Australia 2018, Number of volunteers Australia 2014 by organization type, Number of marriages in Australia 1901-2020, Number of religious and civil celebrant marriages in Australia 1998-2018, Number of religious marriages in Australia 2018, by minister affiliation, Average number of children born to women in Australia 2016, by religion, Religious or spiritual well-being as source of happiness for Australians 2019, Public perception of the biggest problems facing the country in Australia 2019, Opinion on leading human rights that need protection Australia 2018, Share of negative responses toward selected religions in Australia 2019, by religion, Most important values in life in Australia 2020, Share of people who think belief in God is necessary to be moral by country 2019, Number of people in Singapore by religion 2016, Religious affiliation of young adults in France 2018, Number of Confucians South Korea 1985-2015, Reasons to leave a religion in Denmark 2017, Reasons to leave a religion in Norway 2017, Reasons to leave a religion in Sweden 2017, Uruguay: religion affiliation share 2020, by type, El Salvador: religion affiliation share 2020, by type, Venezuela: religion affiliation share 2020, by type, Find your information in our database containing over 20,000 reports. 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