Over 600% increase in the Australian Hindu population in 11 years

Australia has long been viewed as a Christian stronghold, but it seems that things are starting to change. The results of the 2016 Australian census have been released, which show that while more people than ever hold no particular religious views, Hinduism is the fastest growing religion in the country.

The information, provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, reveals that Hinduism has seen a remarkable surge in popularity over the past quarter of a century. In 1991, Hindus made up just 0.3 per cent of the population, but now that figure has risen to 1.9 per cent- an increase of over 600%.

The census result puts the number of Hindus in Australia at some 440,300. Sikhism has also seen a dramatic rise in popularity in the nation, rising from 0.1 per cent of the population in 2006 to 0.5 per cent last year.

While Christianity remains the most popular religion in Australia at 52 per cent, the number of people who chose to answer “no religion” is also on the increase. Almost a third of respondents answered in this way, compared to just 22 per cent in the previous census in 2011.

In response to the news, U.S.-based Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, congratulated Australian Hindus for remaining true to their faith, and continuing with their traditional values of hard work and the sanctity of marriage in an increasingly secularized world.

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