The Australian Bureau of Statistics has pushed back against a secularist campaign by clarifying how Australians should approach the question about religion in the 2026 Census.
The clarification came in response to the ‘Not religious? Mark ‘No Religion’ campaign, which included an online quiz that offered people advice about how to answer the optional question.
The campaign comes from a coalition of secular, and sceptic organisations including the Rationalist Society of Australia and the Secular Association of NSW. As in previous years, they argued the Census question is biased as it “presumes each respondent has a religion”.
Their ‘How religious are you?’ quiz prompts people to “discover your spiritual or religious identity” and offers guidance on how to answer the Census question based on their responses on topics such as regular participation in worship and specific beliefs.
But according to The Australian, the ABS warned against material circulating online that suggested people answer in a way that is inconsistent with the question’s purpose of gaining data on people’s religious affiliation.
“The question on religion measures a person’s religious affiliation, which may be different from their practice of, or participation in, religious activities,” the ABS said.
“For this reason, it is important that the question is answered accurately and according to an individual’s own beliefs regarding their religion.”
The distinction made by the ABS was supported by faith leaders in June when Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP joined counterparts from Jewish, Muslim, Anglican, Orthodox, and other traditions to explain that the Census is not a test of how closely a person adheres to religious practice.
They said accurate data helps inform planning for schools, hospitals, aged care, chaplaincy and other community services.
“You don’t have to be regular worshipper to have a religious identity,” Archbishop Fisher said at the time.
National Centre for Pastoral Research director Dr Trudy Dantis also said religion data is crucial for Catholic parishes, schools, dioceses and organisations seeking to understand the communities they serve.
The question on religion has appeared in every Australian Census since 1911.
At the last Census in 2021, 38.9 per cent of Australians reported having no religion, while Christianity remained the largest broad religious grouping at 43.9 per cent.
