Religious Switching in Australia

Recent Australian census data (2006–2021) indicate that identification with religion continues to decline across Australia’s population. This is particularly seen among Christian adherents. To understand this phenomenon, religious switching needs to be considered in addition to migration, birth and mortality. This article uses the recently released Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset (ACLD) to provide important insights into religious switching and religious decline in Australia. The ACLD uniquely provides important demographic information on a tracked sample of almost 700,000 Australians across 4 censuses (2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021). Our study identifies that the no religion census category has been increasing between census years. However, it has the lowest level of retention from census to census of all the religion categories. That is, rather than maintaining ‘no religion’, many religious nones later return or adopt religious affiliation. This challenges assumptions that Australians who abandon their religious affiliation do so permanently. Christianity, although in decline, continues to attract people from Buddhism, no religion and other religions, especially the Australian-born. The analysis also reveals that earlier migrants to Australia tend to disaffiliate more than newer migrants. This article provides nuanced evidence about secularisation patterns in Australia, especially between Australian-born individuals who are more likely to move to no religion compared to those born overseas.