(edited from ABC article based on 2021 census statistics released this week)
The 2021 census has revealed a growing nation – more than 25 million people – that is more diverse than ever.
It also depicts a country undergoing significant cultural changes.
For the first time, fewer than half of Australians identified as Christian, though Christianity remained the nation’s most common religion (declared by 43.9% of the population).
Meanwhile, the number of Australians who said they had no religion rose to 38.9% (from 30.1% in 2016).
The data also shows almost half of Australians had a parent born overseas, and more than a quarter were themselves born overseas.
Christianity was the stated religion of about 90% of Australians until 1966, when its dominance began to wane.
The ABS says migration has affected the trends since, though much of the change is due to the growth of atheist and secular beliefs.
The fastest-growing religions, according to the latest census, are Hinduism (2.7% of the population) and Islam (3.2%), though these worshippers remain small minorities.