Regional QLD
Religion
In Regional QLD in 2016, the largest religious group was Western (Roman) Catholic (22.0% of all people), while 28.2% of people had no religion and 10.1% did not answer the question on religion.
Regional QLD'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 QLD'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 QLD - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2016 | 2011 | Change | |||||
| Religion totals | Number | % | Greater Melbourne % | Number | % | Greater Melbourne % | 2011 to 2016 | |
| Christian total | 1,411,958 | 58.4 | 46.3 | 35500 | 1,480,348 | 65.7 | 55.8 | -68,390 |
| Non Christian total | 65,597 | 2.7 | 13.2 | 35501 | 53,335 | 2.4 | 11.8 | +12,262 |
| Non-classifiable religious belief | 15,670 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 35502 | 18,103 | 0.8 | 0.9 | -2,433 |
| No Religion/secular beliefs | 682,192 | 28.2 | 31.3 | 35503 | 480,897 | 21.3 | 23.5 | +201,295 |
| Not stated | 244,307 | 10.1 | 8.6 | 35504 | 221,045 | 9.8 | 8.1 | +23,262 |
| Total Population | 2,419,724 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 2,253,728 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +165,996 | |
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 QLD - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2016 | 2011 | Change | |||||
| Religion | Number | % | Greater Melbourne % | Number | % | Greater Melbourne % | 2011 to 2016 | |
| Western (Roman) Catholic | 531,764 | 22.0 | 23.2 | 35044 | 532,364 | 23.6 | 27.1 | -600 |
| Anglican | 414,968 | 17.1 | 7.6 | 35000 | 461,783 | 20.5 | 10.8 | -46,815 |
| Uniting Church | 134,514 | 5.6 | 2.3 | 35043 | 151,032 | 6.7 | 3.4 | -16,518 |
| Presbyterian and Reformed | 78,181 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 35036 | 85,178 | 3.8 | 2.1 | -6,997 |
| Christian,nfd | 73,403 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 35011 | 64,718 | 2.9 | 1.9 | +8,685 |
| Baptist | 38,148 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 35006 | 38,568 | 1.7 | 1.5 | -420 |
| Pentecostal | 37,210 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 35033 | 32,769 | 1.5 | 0.9 | +4,441 |
| Lutheran | 32,544 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 35021 | 44,900 | 2.0 | 0.6 | -12,356 |
| Buddhism | 26,135 | 1.1 | 3.8 | 35008 | 23,526 | 1.0 | 4.0 | +2,609 |
| Jehova's Witnesses | 14,465 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 35018 | 14,699 | 0.7 | 0.3 | -234 |
| Hinduism | 12,405 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 35016 | 7,166 | 0.3 | 2.0 | +5,239 |
| Islam | 10,986 | 0.5 | 4.2 | 35017 | 9,000 | 0.4 | 3.6 | +1,986 |
| Other Protestant | 10,798 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 35034 | 5,867 | 0.3 | 0.3 | +4,931 |
| Seventh Day Adventist | 8,569 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 35040 | 8,665 | 0.4 | 0.2 | -96 |
| Greek Orthodox | 7,812 | 0.3 | 3.5 | 35015 | 7,872 | 0.3 | 4.0 | -60 |
| Latter Day Saints (Mormons) | 7,318 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 35020 | 6,739 | 0.3 | 0.2 | +579 |
| Salvation Army | 6,805 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 35038 | 7,749 | 0.3 | 0.2 | -944 |
| Churches of Christ | 5,162 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 35013 | 5,886 | 0.3 | 0.2 | -724 |
| Sikhism | 4,963 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 35041 | 2,248 | 0.1 | 0.7 | +2,715 |
| Other Christian | 3,503 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35027 | 3,922 | 0.2 | 0.1 | -419 |
| Judaism | 2,178 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 35019 | 2,243 | 0.1 | 1.1 | -65 |
| Paganism | 2,019 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35035 | 1,976 | 0.1 | 0.1 | +43 |
| Brethren | 1,881 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35007 | 2,768 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -887 |
| Spiritualism | 1,322 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35042 | 1,503 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -181 |
| Other Non-Christian Religions | 1,178 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35031 | 1,250 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -72 |
| Russian Orthodox | 1,150 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35037 | 1,031 | 0.0 | 0.1 | +119 |
| Baha'i | 1,089 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35005 | 1,154 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -65 |
| Other Nature Religions | 993 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35030 | 1,229 | 0.1 | 0.0 | -236 |
| Australian Aboriginal Traditional Religions | 966 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35004 | 539 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +427 |
| Serbian Orthodox | 961 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 35039 | 919 | 0.0 | 0.3 | +42 |
| Wiccan/Witchcraft | 776 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35045 | 931 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -155 |
| Christadelphian | 772 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35010 | 760 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +12 |
| Chinese and Japanese Religions | 711 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35009 | 570 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +141 |
| Coptic Orthodox | 525 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 35014 | 378 | 0.0 | 0.2 | +147 |
| Other Eastern Catholic | 426 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 35028 | 48 | 0.0 | 0.1 | +378 |
| Other Oriental Orthodox | 369 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35032 | 106 | 0.0 | 0.1 | +263 |
| Other Eastern Orthodox | 321 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35029 | 1,167 | 0.1 | 0.5 | -846 |
| Macedonian Orthodox | 267 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 35022 | 263 | 0.0 | 0.5 | +4 |
| Armenian Apostolic | 66 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35001 | 89 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -23 |
| Maronite Catholic | 65 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35023 | 80 | 0.0 | 0.1 | -15 |
| Assyrian Apostolic | 42 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 35003 | 28 | 0.0 | 0.0 | +14 |
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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 QLD in 2016 compared to Greater Melbourne shows that there was a higher proportion of people who professed a religion and a lower proportion who stated they had no religion.
Overall, 61.1% of the population nominated a religion, and 28.2% said they had no religion, compared with 59.5% and 31.3% respectively for Greater Melbourne.
The largest single religion in Regional QLD was Western (Roman) Catholic, with 22.0% of the population or 531,764 people as adherents.
The major differences between the religious affiliation for the population of Regional QLD and Greater Melbourne were:
- A larger percentage who nominated Anglican (17.1% compared to 7.6%)
- A larger percentage who nominated Uniting Church (5.6% compared to 2.3%)
- A smaller percentage who nominated Islam (0.5% compared to 4.2%)
- A smaller percentage who nominated Greek Orthodox (0.3% compared to 3.5%)
Emerging groups
The largest changes in the religious affiliation of the population in Regional QLD between 2011 and 2016 were for those who nominated:
- Anglican (-46,815 persons)
- Uniting Church (-16,518 persons)
- Lutheran (-12,356 persons)
- Christian,nfd (+8,685 persons)