AUSTRALIA'S FLOOD OF FAITH: 784,000 Abandon Athiesm and Return to Christianity
Hundreds of thousands of Australians, particularly those over 55, have quietly returned to Christianity, according to a 2025 report by McCrindle Research titled "An Undercurrent of Faith."
Nearly 785,000 Australians who identified as having no religion in the 2016 Census listed Christianity in 2021, the study revealed. Over the past three Census periods, that number jumps to 2.4 million people.
The findings challenge the prevailing narrative that Australia is becoming increasingly secular, instead uncovering what researchers call an undercurrent of faith.
"In a culture often perceived as post-Christian, it's significant that hundreds of thousands of Australians are turning towards Christianity, even while others turn away from it," said McCrindle Research founder Mark McCrindle.
The research combines analysis of the Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset with a nationally representative survey of over 3,000 Australians. Surprisingly, the growth in Christian identification is not being driven by overseas migration but predominantly by Australians aged 55 and older. Recent converts to Christianity in Australia are less likely to be migrants than the average population.
Significant life events like retirement, bereavement, or separation often trigger this change. McCrindle senior researcher Shannon Wherrett said Australians were increasingly seeking spiritual connection and meaning in their lives. People were drawn to Christianity primarily through personal spiritual experiences and the search for purpose.
The top reasons for why Australians turn to Christianity were feeling a spiritual connection or sense of divine presence, finding personal meaning and purpose through Christianity, and Christianity offering answers to questions they can't find elsewhere.
Between 2016 and 2021, about 85,000 young people aged 15 to 24 turned to Christianity. However, the research also found that 36 percent of young Christians moved to "no religion" during the same period. For younger people, the primary reason for leaving faith was that religion was no longer relevant or meaningful to their lives.
Despite this movement away, research shows that younger Christians are highly committed. A remarkable 93 percent of Christian respondents pray weekly, and two thirds read their Bibles regularly. The report found 68 percent of Gen Z Christians attended church at least monthly compared to just 26 percent of Baby Boomers.
"Australians are looking for hope, for purpose, for something beyond themselves," McCrindle said. "And for many, Christianity is where they're finding it."
TAKE ACTION
Access the research: • Download McCrindle's "An Undercurrent of Faith" report: https://mccrindle.com.au • National Council of Churches Australia coverage: https://www.ncca.org.au
Reach seekers in your community: • Create welcoming spaces for older Australians experiencing life transitions • Develop programs addressing spiritual hunger and search for meaning • Focus on authentic faith rather than cultural Christianity
Engage younger believers: • Support Gen Z Christians who are highly active and committed • Address relevance concerns without compromising biblical truth • Build genuine community that combats loneliness and social fragmentation
