Christianity is declining significantly in Australia in terms of self-identification, with numbers dropping from over 60% to under 44% in recent decades, largely due to a rise in "no religion" and growing religious diversity, but there's a nuanced shift where some denominations (like Pentecostal) and non-denominational churches are seeing growth, and a focus on personal conviction over cultural affiliation is changing how people identify.
19 May 2025. Religious decline in Australia is driven by broad societal shifts including medical advances and views on sex rather than poor parenting or leadership, recent research suggests.
Based on the 2021 Australian Census, Hinduism was the fastest-growing religion by percentage increase, with its adherents growing by 148.2% between 2011 and 2021, while Islam and Sikhism also saw significant growth, and the largest group remained those with "No Religion".
Countries like China, India, and Indonesia have some of the world's fastest-growing Christian populations, with house churches, underground networks, and missionary influence playing key roles.
A major study conducted by missionary David Garrison, highlighted in his 2014 book “A Wind in the House of Islam,” estimates that between 2 and 7 million Muslims have converted to Christianity worldwide in the past two decades. Garrison calls this movement “the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history.”
By 2050, Christianity is projected to remain the world's largest religion, but Islam is expected to nearly equal it in numbers, with both groups comprising around 30-31% of the global population, driven by higher birth rates in Muslim-majority areas and significant growth in Christian populations, particularly in developing regions, according to Pew Research Center analyses.
Gen Z's turn toward Christianity reflects a desire for stability, community, and meaning in uncertain times.
Studies in the 21st century suggest that, in terms of percentage and worldwide spread, Islam is the fastest-growing major religion in the world.
No, Australia is not 90% white; while a large majority identify with European ancestry (around 76-80% in recent years), a significant and growing portion identifies as Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Indigenous, making it a highly multicultural nation with diverse ethnic backgrounds, not overwhelmingly white. Recent census data shows European ancestry (English, Irish, etc.) makes up a large chunk, but Asian ancestries are also substantial, with over 17% Asian population and around 3.8% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, per the 2021 census data from Wikipedia.
The church, in many instances, has shifted its focus from fostering a deep, personal relationship with God to maintaining a checklist of religious activities. This emphasis on doing over being has led many to feel like mere participants in a religious routine rather than active, empowered members of the Kingdom of God.
Donald Trump identifies as a nondenominational Christian, having previously been associated with Presbyterianism and influenced by Norman Vincent Peale's "positive thinking," though his faith journey includes shifting affiliations and a strong connection with evangelical Christians, with recent statements emphasizing a stronger faith after a life-threatening event. While raised Presbyterian and attending church as a child, he declared himself nondenominational in 2020, yet his religious identity is complex, drawing from various Christian influences and appealing to a broad base of Christian supporters, including Christian nationalists.
The portion of the U.S. population identifying as Christian has declined significantly over the last two decades, but a massive new Pew Research study finds that trend may be leveling off. The study, which surveyed 37,000 Americans, found that 62% identify as Christian.
The total Catholic population in Australia was 5,075,910 in 2021, representing 20% of the total Australian population. This marks a decline from 27% in 1996, reflecting broader trends in secularisation and religious disaffiliation.
Between 2010 and 2020, Christians lost their majority status in the United Kingdom (where they made up 49% of the population as of 2020), Australia (47%), France (46%) and Uruguay (44%). In three of these countries – the UK, Australia and France – no religious group held a majority in 2020.
More Muslims have converted to the Way of Jesus Christ in the last four decades than in all the other years since the advent of Islam in the 7th Century.
In 2030, Muslims will experience a rare "double Ramadan," fasting twice within the Gregorian calendar year (early January and late December) due to the lunar Islamic calendar's shift; demographic trends suggest continued significant growth, with India potentially having the largest Muslim population and substantial increases in Europe and the U.S., while religious practices will focus on increased devotion and reflection during these two holy months.
In Islam, the raised index finger (al-musabbiḥa) symbolizes the core concept of Tawhid, the indivisible oneness of God (Allah) and the declaration of faith (Shahada), affirming there is no god but God. Muslims use this gesture during prayer (Salah) and sometimes when saying the declaration of faith, pointing to the singular nature of God, signifying faith, unity, and praise.
Whilst boomers and millennials may use the 😂 emoji, this has long since been deemed 'uncool' (or 'cheugy') by Gen Z. Instead, this has been replaced by the skull (💀) or the crying emoji (😭), dramatising the idea of 'dying with laughter'.
The difference between ☦ (Orthodox Cross) and ✝ (Latin Cross) lies in their bars: the Orthodox cross has three bars (a small top one for the inscription, the main one, and a slanted bottom one for the footrest), symbolizing Eastern Orthodoxy, while the Latin cross has one bar, representing Western Christianity's focus on Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection, with both symbols generally signifying faith, Christianity, or support, but specific denominations prefer their distinct form.
According to Guinness, approximately 12.5 million more people converted to Islam than people converted to Christianity between 1990 and 2000.
For example, research indicates that the fastest growing religious status may be "no religion" in the United States, but this includes all kinds of atheists, agnostics, and theists. According to the CIA World Factbook, non-religious people make up 9.66%, while one fifth of them are atheists.
The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest surviving religion in the world, it is also described by the 19th century term Sanātana Dharma ( lit. 'eternal dharma'). Vaidika Dharma ( lit. 'Vedic dharma') and Arya Dharma are historical endonyms for Hinduism.