The 2011 Australian census was released today and there’s good news when it comes to religion:

While Catholicism has remained the most common religion with a quarter of the population, Anglicans have lost ground to those identifying themselves with no religion. The non-believers are now the second largest group with 22.3 per cent of the population, up from 18.7 per cent in 2006.

To which I say:

Efrique made this helpful chart (take note of the increasing number of black figures):

The Atheist Foundation of Australia is thrilled:

David Nicholls, president of the Atheist Foundation of Australia said, “Today’s results released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that Australians with no religion is climbing quite rapidly while the religious and particularly the Christian portion of society is in decline. … Nicholls stated, “The loaded question of ‘What is your religion’, with the no religion box at the bottom of the list of choices on the Census form, and people marking their religion of baptism out of habit, one would expect the figures not to represent reality.”

In other words, there are probably more non-believers than just the 22.3%. We just have to get them to admit that out loud and on the census.

Keep it up, Australia!

