2021 Census confirms growing trend away from religion in Australia

Census data release has confirmed Australia is seeing a growing trend away from religion. The stats suggest people who consider themselves "non-religious" could become the dominant group in coming years, overtaking Christianity. Of the nation's minority religions, Hinduism is notable for its growth - fuelled by migration.

An art installation at Melbourne's St Paul's Cathedral an example of the church's efforts to connect with more people Source: SBS

On his very first day living in Melbourne, Indian migrant Vinit Sharma sought out a Hindu temple.

The 33-year old says worship is essential for him.

Hinduism is Australia's fastest-growing religion.

In the 2021 census, more than 684 thousand people identified as Hindu - a 55 per cent increase.

The result is due to the arrival of a greater number of migrants from India and Nepal.

Christianity remains the most common religion in Australia.

But for the first time, fewer than half of the population  - at 43.9% -  identified as Christian.

The number of people reporting 'no religion' continues its upward trend, now at 38.9% of the population.

This raises the possibility that at the next census non-believers could replace Christians as the biggest cohort.

While the National Christian Life Survey shows the number of active Anglican worshippers remains stable, the denomination is aging.

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