Regional VIC
Religion
In Regional VIC in 2016, the largest religious group was Western (Roman) Catholic (22.7% of all people), while 34.0% of people had no religion and 9.8% did not answer the question on religion.
Regional VIC's religion statistics provide an indicator of cultural identity and ethnicity when observed in conjunction with other key variables. Religion data reveal the major concentrations of religions as well as revealing the proportion of people with no religious affiliation. There are a number of reasons for different religious compositions across areas including the country of birth and ethnic background of the population, the age of the population (belief in religion is generally stronger, the older the population) and changes in values and belief systems.
Regional VIC's religion statistics should be analysed in conjunction with other ethnicity statistics such as Country of Birth data and Language Spoken data to assist in identifying specific cultural and ethnic groups.
Please note: Due to changes in ABS rules around perturbation and additivity of data to protect the confidentiality of individuals, counts of individual religion groups and totals derived from them may differ slightly from those published by the ABS.
Derived from the Census question:
'What is the person's religion?'
Total population
| Religion - Summary | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional VIC - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2016 | 2011 | Change | |||||
| Religion totals | Number | % | Greater Hobart % | Number | % | Greater Hobart % | 2011 to 2016 | |
| Christian total | 762,004 | 53.1 | 47.3 | 35500 | 843,912 | 62.7 | 58.7 | -81,908 |
| Non Christian total | 35,116 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 35501 | 27,422 | 2.0 | 2.4 | +7,694 |
| Non-classifiable religious belief | 8,942 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 35502 | 10,911 | 0.8 | 0.9 | -1,969 |
| No Religion/secular beliefs | 486,873 | 34.0 | 40.3 | 35503 | 342,311 | 25.4 | 29.4 | +144,562 |
| Not stated | 140,880 | 9.8 | 8.8 | 35504 | 121,173 | 9.0 | 8.6 | +19,707 |
| Total Population | 1,433,815 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 1,345,729 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +88,086 | |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 2011 and 2016. Compiled and presented by .id (opens a new window)(informed decisions).
(Usual residence data)
| Religion - Ranked by size | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional VIC - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2016 | 2011 | Change | |||||
| Religion | Number | % | Greater Hobart % | Number | % | Greater Hobart % | 2011 to 2016 | |
| Western (Roman) Catholic | 325,357 | 22.7 | 17.0 | 35044 | 338,150 | 25.1 | 20.2 | -12,793 |
| Anglican | 190,261 | 13.3 | 19.8 | 35000 | 224,622 | 16.7 | 26.2 | -34,361 |
| Uniting Church | 93,299 | 6.5 | 2.5 | 35043 | 115,492 | 8.6 | 3.4 | -22,193 |
| Presbyterian and Reformed | 46,869 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 35036 | 56,605 | 4.2 | 1.9 | -9,736 |
| Christian,nfd | 29,940 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 35011 | 25,759 | 1.9 | 1.9 | +4,181 |
| Baptist | 18,623 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 35006 | 19,146 | 1.4 | 0.9 | -523 |
| Lutheran | 12,859 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 35021 | 17,744 | 1.3 | 0.5 | -4,885 |
| Buddhism | 11,232 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 35008 | 9,750 | 0.7 | 0.9 | +1,482 |
| Pentecostal | 10,670 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 35033 | 10,140 | 0.8 | 0.9 | +530 |
| Islam | 10,125 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 35017 | 7,872 | 0.6 | 0.5 | +2,253 |
| Greek Orthodox | 6,633 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 35015 | 6,541 | 0.5 | 0.7 | +92 |
| Hinduism | 5,905 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 35016 | 3,266 | 0.2 | 0.4 | +2,639 |
| Jehova's Witnesses | 4,357 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 35018 | 4,552 | 0.3 | 0.3 | -195 |
| Salvation Army | 4,264 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 35038 | 5,258 | 0.4 | 0.3 | -994 |
| Churches of Christ | 3,988 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 35013 | 4,882 | 0.4 | 0.2 | -894 |
| Other Protestant | 3,826 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 35034 | 2,215 | 0.2 | 0.1 | +1,611 |
| Sikhism | 3,143 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 35041 | 1,513 | 0.1 | 0.1 | +1,630 |
| Seventh Day Adventist | 2,503 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 35040 | 2,641 | 0.2 | 0.2 | -138 |
| Latter Day Saints (Mormons) | 1,933 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 35020 | 2,149 | 0.2 | 0.3 | -216 |
| Brethren | 1,878 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35007 | 2,166 | 0.2 | 0.2 | -288 |
| Paganism | 1,219 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35035 | 1,268 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -49 |
| Macedonian Orthodox | 1,030 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35022 | 1,091 | 0.1 | 0.0 | -61 |
| Serbian Orthodox | 983 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35039 | 1,032 | 0.1 | 0.0 | -49 |
| Other Christian | 723 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35027 | 861 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -138 |
| Other Non-Christian Religions | 618 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35031 | 691 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -73 |
| Judaism | 602 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35019 | 579 | 0.0 | 0.1 | +23 |
| Spiritualism | 598 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35042 | 562 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +36 |
| Russian Orthodox | 589 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35037 | 617 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -28 |
| Wiccan/Witchcraft | 575 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35045 | 660 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -85 |
| Other Eastern Catholic | 461 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35028 | 293 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +168 |
| Other Nature Religions | 448 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35030 | 609 | 0.0 | 0.1 | -161 |
| Chinese and Japanese Religions | 263 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35009 | 192 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +71 |
| Coptic Orthodox | 248 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35014 | 198 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +50 |
| Baha'i | 246 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35005 | 250 | 0.0 | 0.1 | -4 |
| Christadelphian | 238 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35010 | 250 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -12 |
| Other Eastern Orthodox | 215 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35029 | 1,349 | 0.1 | 0.0 | -1,134 |
| Other Oriental Orthodox | 207 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35032 | 112 | 0.0 | 0.1 | +95 |
| Australian Aboriginal Traditional Religions | 180 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35004 | 210 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -30 |
| Maronite Catholic | 45 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35023 | 15 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +30 |
| Armenian Apostolic | 25 | 0.0 | -- | 35001 | 26 | 0.0 | -- | -1 |
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Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 2011 and 2016. Compiled and presented by .id (opens a new window)(informed decisions).
Excludes religions with fewer than 10 adherents.
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Dominant groups
Analysis of the religious affiliation of the population of Regional VIC in 2016 compared to Greater Hobart shows that there was a higher proportion of people who professed a religion and a lower proportion who stated they had no religion.
Overall, 55.6% of the population nominated a religion, and 34.0% said they had no religion, compared with 50.2% and 40.3% respectively for Greater Hobart.
The largest single religion in Regional VIC was Western (Roman) Catholic, with 22.7% of the population or 325,357 people as adherents.
The major differences between the religious affiliation for the population of Regional VIC and Greater Hobart were:
- A larger percentage who nominated Western (Roman) Catholic (22.7% compared to 17.0%)
- A larger percentage who nominated Uniting Church (6.5% compared to 2.5%)
- A larger percentage who nominated Presbyterian and Reformed (3.3% compared to 1.5%)
- A smaller percentage who nominated Anglican (13.3% compared to 19.8%)
Emerging groups
The largest changes in the religious affiliation of the population in Regional VIC between 2011 and 2016 were for those who nominated:
- Anglican (-34,361 persons)
- Uniting Church (-22,193 persons)
- Western (Roman) Catholic (-12,793 persons)
- Presbyterian and Reformed (-9,736 persons)