The Change Mariner

Decline of Christianity in Australia

News.com.au

Just 68 per cent of Australians classed themselves as Christians in 2001, down from 96 per cent at Federation, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

In the 100 intervening years, the biggest change in people's religious affiliation was the emergence of those who class themselves as having no religion at all – 25.3 per cent of the population.

The ABS said that in 2001, the two main Christian denominations, Catholicism and Anglicism, accounted for 46.5 per cent of the population.

Buddhism accounted for 1.9 per cent (357,813) of the population and Islam for 1.5 per cent (281,578).

In 2001, there were also 95,473 Hindus and 83,993 Jews in Australia.