Victoria
Religion
In Victoria in 2021, the largest religious group was Western (Roman) Catholic (20.3% of all people), while 39.1% of people had no religion and 6.3% did not answer the question on religion.
Victoria'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.
Victoria'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 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 1991 | Change | |||||
| Religion totals | Number | % | Regional QLD % | Number | % | Regional QLD % | 1991 to 2021 | |
| Christian total | 2,657,951 | 40.9 | 47.2 | 35500 | 3,036,568 | 70.8 | -- | -378,617 |
| Non Christian total | 853,762 | 13.1 | 3.1 | 35501 | 146,346 | 3.4 | -- | +707,416 |
| Non-classifiable religious belief | 36,463 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 35502 | 11,340 | 0.3 | -- | +25,123 |
| No Religion/secular beliefs | 2,542,441 | 39.1 | 40.3 | 35503 | 615,316 | 14.4 | -- | +1,927,125 |
| Not stated | 412,883 | 6.3 | 8.8 | 35504 | 477,903 | 11.1 | -- | -65,020 |
| Total Population | 6,503,500 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 4,287,473 | 100.0 | -- | +2,216,027 | |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 1991 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (opens a new window)(informed decisions).
(Usual residence data)
| Religion - Ranked by size | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 1991 | Change | |||||
| Religion | Number | % | Regional QLD % | Number | % | Regional QLD % | 1991 to 2021 | |
| Western (Roman) Catholic | 1,320,154 | 20.3 | 18.7 | 35044 | 1,245,841 | 29.1 | -- | +74,313 |
| Anglican | 425,007 | 6.5 | 12.8 | 35000 | 785,552 | 18.3 | -- | -360,545 |
| Islam | 273,028 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 35017 | 49,480 | 1.2 | -- | +223,548 |
| Hinduism | 214,058 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 35016 | 11,220 | 0.3 | -- | +202,838 |
| Buddhism | 204,493 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 35008 | 41,921 | 1.0 | -- | +162,572 |
| Greek Orthodox | 170,612 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 35015 | 156,100 | 3.6 | -- | +14,512 |
| Christian,nfd | 165,634 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 35011 | 33,154 | 0.8 | -- | +132,480 |
| Uniting Church | 156,166 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 35043 | 351,222 | 8.2 | -- | -195,056 |
| Sikhism | 91,745 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 35041 | 2,085 | 0.0 | -- | +89,660 |
| Presbyterian and Reformed | 88,797 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 35036 | 197,316 | 4.6 | -- | -108,519 |
| Baptist | 82,044 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 35006 | 61,230 | 1.4 | -- | +20,814 |
| Pentecostal | 54,490 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 35033 | 28,814 | 0.7 | -- | +25,676 |
| Judaism | 46,645 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 35019 | 35,207 | 0.8 | -- | +11,438 |
| Lutheran | 23,101 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 35021 | 44,910 | 1.0 | -- | -21,809 |
| Other Protestant | 22,934 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 35034 | 7,444 | 0.2 | -- | +15,490 |
| Macedonian Orthodox | 20,863 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 35022 | 20,433 | 0.5 | -- | +430 |
| Jehova's Witnesses | 15,515 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 35018 | 13,429 | 0.3 | -- | +2,086 |
| Serbian Orthodox | 13,562 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 35039 | 7,343 | 0.2 | -- | +6,219 |
| Other Eastern Catholic | 12,082 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 35028 | 0 | 0.0 | -- | +12,082 |
| Latter Day Saints (Mormons) | 11,457 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 35020 | 7,376 | 0.2 | -- | +4,081 |
| Seventh Day Adventist | 10,923 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 35040 | 7,704 | 0.2 | -- | +3,219 |
| Churches of Christ | 10,302 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 35013 | 22,379 | 0.5 | -- | -12,077 |
| Coptic Orthodox | 9,580 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35014 | 2,770 | 0.1 | -- | +6,810 |
| Other Non-Christian Religions | 8,100 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35031 | 3,513 | 0.1 | -- | +4,587 |
| Other Oriental Orthodox | 7,652 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35032 | 592 | 0.0 | -- | +7,060 |
| Salvation Army | 7,517 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 35038 | 16,547 | 0.4 | -- | -9,030 |
| Russian Orthodox | 5,920 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35037 | 3,437 | 0.1 | -- | +2,483 |
| Other Eastern Orthodox | 5,833 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35029 | 11,763 | 0.3 | -- | -5,930 |
| Brethren | 4,162 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35007 | 4,873 | 0.1 | -- | -711 |
| Paganism | 4,097 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35035 | 0 | 0.0 | -- | +4,097 |
| Assyrian Apostolic | 3,719 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35003 | 543 | 0.0 | -- | +3,176 |
| Maronite Catholic | 3,550 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35023 | 0 | 0.0 | -- | +3,550 |
| Other Christian | 3,390 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 35027 | 3,117 | 0.1 | -- | +273 |
| Baha'i | 3,335 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 35005 | 1,242 | 0.0 | -- | +2,093 |
| Chinese and Japanese Religions | 2,310 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35009 | 0 | 0.0 | -- | +2,310 |
| Other Nature Religions | 1,888 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35030 | 0 | 0.0 | -- | +1,888 |
| Spiritualism | 1,851 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35042 | 1,623 | 0.0 | -- | +228 |
| Armenian Apostolic | 1,830 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35001 | 1,289 | 0.0 | -- | +541 |
| Wiccan/Witchcraft | 1,823 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35045 | 0 | 0.0 | -- | +1,823 |
| Christadelphian | 1,155 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35010 | 1,390 | 0.0 | -- | -235 |
| Australian Aboriginal Traditional Religions | 389 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 35004 | 55 | 0.0 | -- | +334 |
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Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 1991 and 2021. 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 Victoria in 2021 compared to Regional QLD shows that there was a higher proportion of people who professed a religion and a lower proportion who stated they had no religion.
Overall, 54.0% of the population nominated a religion, and 39.1% said they had no religion, compared with 50.2% and 40.3% respectively for Regional QLD.
The largest single religion in Victoria was Western (Roman) Catholic, with 20.3% of the population or 1,320,154 people as adherents.
The major differences between the religious affiliation for the population of Victoria and Regional QLD were:
- A larger percentage who nominated Islam (4.2% compared to 0.5%)
- A larger percentage who nominated Hinduism (3.3% compared to 0.7%)
- A larger percentage who nominated Greek Orthodox (2.6% compared to 0.3%)
- A smaller percentage who nominated Anglican (6.5% compared to 12.8%)
Emerging groups
The largest changes in the religious affiliation of the population in Victoria between 1991 and 2021 were for those who nominated:
- Anglican (-360,545 persons)
- Islam (+223,548 persons)
- Hinduism (+202,838 persons)
- Uniting Church (-195,056 persons)