Religious affiliation (RELP)

This variable records a person's religious affiliation. Answering this Census question is optional.

All persons

This variable is coded using the Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups (ASCRG), 2016. 

The categories using the ASCRG are listed in groups below. The full list is available from the Data downloads on this page.

Number of categories:

• One digit level: 10
• Two digit/three digit level: 38
• Four digit level: 151

See Understanding supplementary codes for more information.

This variable is created from responses to the religious affiliation question, which are coded to the ASCRG.

Respondents could use one of the mark boxes to indicate their religious affiliation or write the name of their religion in the text field. The question includes the 10 most common responses from the 2016 Census as mark boxes, as well as a write in text box. 

Responses are coded accordingly:

• Most responses are captured automatically from a mark box response.
• Written responses are coded using a combination of automatic reading and coding processes.
• Remaining responses require manual coding processes when they could not be coded or derived automatically.
• When more than one religion or a mark box religion and a text response is recorded, the responses are accepted in the order they appear on the form and the extra response is rejected.
• If a religion is not listed in the classification, it is coded to 'Inadequately described'.

A question on religion has been included in all Australian censuses since 1911. Answering this question has always been optional, the very nature of which is provided for in legislation.

The ASCRG was first published in 1996 and has been used to code religious affiliation for all Australian censuses since. Throughout this time, the classification has evolved to reflect the diverse religious affiliations identified amongst Australia’s population.

From 1991 to 2011 the 'No religion' response category was the last response option. For 2016, a change was made to the question format, moving this category to the first response option. This change was made following the 2016 Census topic review process, where many submissions recommended changes to the Religious affiliation question. 'No religion' was again the first response option in 2021.

For 2021, the response category order has been updated based on the most common responses in the 2016 Census:

• 'Presbyterian' moved from 5th to 7th position
• 'Islam' moved from 7th to 5th position
• 'Greek Orthodox' moved from 8th to 9th position
• 'Baptist' moved from 9th to 10th position
• 'Hinduism' moved from 10th to 8th position.

Changes have also been made to the 'other' examples given in the question instructions.

The Census question is intended to measure religious affiliation, which may be different from a person's practice of or participation in a religious activity. It allows people to respond with secular or spiritual beliefs and to indicate if they have no religious affiliation at all.

Data on religious affiliation is used for:

• planning the location of educational facilities, aged care and other social services provided by religion-based organisations
• planning the location of church buildings
• the assigning of chaplains to hospitals, prisons, armed services, and universities
• the allocation of time on public radio and other media
• sociological research.

The non-response rate for Religious affiliation (RELP) was 6.9% in 2021. This is a decrease from 9.1% in 2016.

• Ancestry (ANCP)
• Ethnicity

• People
• People and communities
• Religious Affiliation Standard, 2016
• Cultural diversity: Census