CENSUS DATA ABOUT PENTECOSTALS IN AUSTRALIA

What the Census tells us about Pentecostals in Australia

by Philip Hughes

The 1970s saw huge growth in the Pentecostal denominations in Australia, as was happening in many places around the globe. Between 1976 and 1981, the Australian Census recorded Pentecostal growth in Australia at 88%. It is likely that the true growth was even greater than this.

Some people attending Pentecostal churches have recorded their identity on the Census according to their heritage, such as Catholic or Anglican. Others have written ‘Christian’ on the Census form. The true number of Pentecostals has always been underestimated by the Census. However, it is likely that the Census accurately reflects changes over the decades.

Decades of Growth The numbers of Pentecostals grew strongly in the 1980s when most other Christian denominations were experiencing decline, doubling between 1981 and 1991. In the 1990s, the growth rate slowed to less than 30% for the decade. Between the 2001 and 2011, there was 22% growth. In the five years between 2016 and 2021, the Census recorded a decline of 2%, with the actual numbers of Pentecostals falling by nearly 5,000.

Stats across States The decline in Pentecostals has occurred in almost every part of Australia, except in rural Northern Territory. Pentecostals remain strongest in Queensland (1.4% of the population), moderately strong in South Australia (1.1%) and Western Australia (1.0%), and weakest in New South Wales (0.9%), Tasmania (0.9%) and Victoria (0.8%). Pentecostals are generally stronger in the capital cities than in rural areas. In Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, Pentecostals constitute 0.9% of the population. >