Regional NSW
Religion
In Regional NSW in 2016, the largest religious group was Western (Roman) Catholic (23.8% of all people), while 26.3% of people had no religion and 9.3% did not answer the question on religion.
Regional NSW'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 NSW'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 NSW - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2016 | 2011 | Change | |||||
| Religion totals | Number | % | Western Australia % | Number | % | Western Australia % | 2011 to 2016 | |
| Christian total | 1,626,930 | 61.5 | 49.8 | 35500 | 1,783,633 | 71.0 | 58.1 | -156,703 |
| Non Christian total | 61,563 | 2.3 | 6.9 | 35501 | 51,690 | 2.1 | 5.8 | +9,873 |
| Non-classifiable religious belief | 15,431 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 35502 | 19,494 | 0.8 | 0.9 | -4,063 |
| No Religion/secular beliefs | 694,788 | 26.3 | 32.8 | 35503 | 462,597 | 18.4 | 25.5 | +232,191 |
| Not stated | 244,820 | 9.3 | 9.9 | 35504 | 195,536 | 7.8 | 9.7 | +49,284 |
| Total Population | 2,643,532 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 2,512,950 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +130,582 | |
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 NSW - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2016 | 2011 | Change | |||||
| Religion | Number | % | Western Australia % | Number | % | Western Australia % | 2011 to 2016 | |
| Western (Roman) Catholic | 630,445 | 23.8 | 21.4 | 35044 | 658,578 | 26.2 | 23.6 | -28,133 |
| Anglican | 580,065 | 21.9 | 14.3 | 35000 | 668,437 | 26.6 | 18.8 | -88,372 |
| Uniting Church | 119,807 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 35043 | 146,510 | 5.8 | 3.3 | -26,703 |
| Presbyterian and Reformed | 92,787 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 35036 | 105,919 | 4.2 | 2.2 | -13,132 |
| Christian,nfd | 56,848 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 35011 | 48,788 | 1.9 | 2.8 | +8,060 |
| Baptist | 34,710 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 35006 | 35,677 | 1.4 | 1.9 | -967 |
| Pentecostal | 24,498 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 35033 | 23,115 | 0.9 | 1.1 | +1,383 |
| Buddhism | 21,692 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 35008 | 20,364 | 0.8 | 2.1 | +1,328 |
| Islam | 13,997 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 35017 | 10,972 | 0.4 | 1.7 | +3,025 |
| Greek Orthodox | 11,438 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 35015 | 11,652 | 0.5 | 0.6 | -214 |
| Seventh Day Adventist | 11,261 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 35040 | 11,714 | 0.5 | 0.3 | -453 |
| Hinduism | 11,122 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 35016 | 6,413 | 0.3 | 0.9 | +4,709 |
| Jehova's Witnesses | 10,876 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 35018 | 11,048 | 0.4 | 0.5 | -172 |
| Lutheran | 10,688 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 35021 | 16,078 | 0.6 | 0.6 | -5,390 |
| Salvation Army | 9,200 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 35038 | 11,230 | 0.4 | 0.2 | -2,030 |
| Other Protestant | 8,843 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 35034 | 4,446 | 0.2 | 0.4 | +4,397 |
| Macedonian Orthodox | 7,446 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 35022 | 7,476 | 0.3 | 0.2 | -30 |
| Sikhism | 4,720 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 35041 | 2,922 | 0.1 | 0.2 | +1,798 |
| Latter Day Saints (Mormons) | 3,915 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 35020 | 4,006 | 0.2 | 0.3 | -91 |
| Brethren | 3,316 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35007 | 3,598 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -282 |
| Serbian Orthodox | 2,347 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35039 | 2,375 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -28 |
| Churches of Christ | 2,112 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 35013 | 2,874 | 0.1 | 0.5 | -762 |
| Paganism | 2,103 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35035 | 2,349 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -246 |
| Judaism | 1,679 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 35019 | 1,652 | 0.1 | 0.3 | +27 |
| Other Christian | 1,464 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35027 | 1,721 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -257 |
| Other Non-Christian Religions | 1,228 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35031 | 1,204 | 0.0 | 0.1 | +24 |
| Christadelphian | 1,158 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35010 | 1,177 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -19 |
| Spiritualism | 1,051 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35042 | 1,229 | 0.0 | 0.1 | -178 |
| Australian Aboriginal Traditional Religions | 1,028 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35004 | 716 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +312 |
| Russian Orthodox | 1,019 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35037 | 986 | 0.0 | 0.1 | +33 |
| Wiccan/Witchcraft | 942 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35045 | 1,240 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -298 |
| Other Eastern Catholic | 873 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35028 | 202 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +671 |
| Other Nature Religions | 855 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35030 | 1,306 | 0.1 | 0.0 | -451 |
| Baha'i | 690 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35005 | 795 | 0.0 | 0.1 | -105 |
| Coptic Orthodox | 557 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35014 | 451 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +106 |
| Chinese and Japanese Religions | 505 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35009 | 528 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -23 |
| Other Eastern Orthodox | 500 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35029 | 5,061 | 0.2 | 0.2 | -4,561 |
| Other Oriental Orthodox | 484 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35032 | 244 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +240 |
| Maronite Catholic | 241 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35023 | 206 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +35 |
| Armenian Apostolic | 71 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35001 | 38 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +33 |
| Assyrian Apostolic | 39 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35003 | 26 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +13 |
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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 NSW in 2016 compared to Western Australia shows that there was a higher proportion of people who professed a religion and a lower proportion who stated they had no religion.
Overall, 63.9% of the population nominated a religion, and 26.3% said they had no religion, compared with 56.7% and 32.8% respectively for Western Australia.
The largest single religion in Regional NSW was Western (Roman) Catholic, with 23.8% of the population or 630,445 people as adherents.
The major differences between the religious affiliation for the population of Regional NSW and Western Australia were:
- A larger percentage who nominated Anglican (21.9% compared to 14.3%)
- A larger percentage who nominated Western (Roman) Catholic (23.8% compared to 21.4%)
- A larger percentage who nominated Uniting Church (4.5% compared to 2.3%)
- A larger percentage who nominated Presbyterian and Reformed (3.5% compared to 1.8%)
Emerging groups
The largest changes in the religious affiliation of the population in Regional NSW between 2011 and 2016 were for those who nominated:
- Anglican (-88,372 persons)
- Western (Roman) Catholic (-28,133 persons)
- Uniting Church (-26,703 persons)
- Presbyterian and Reformed (-13,132 persons)