An Essential Media poll commissioned by the Census – Not Religious? Mark No Religion campaign has found that the wording of Australia’s census religion question may be influencing how people respond about their religious affiliation.
When respondents were presented with the existing census format—a list of religions, “no religion,” and “other”—43% selected “no religion.” However, when given a yes-or-no option first (“do you have a religion?”) followed by a text box for those answering yes, 54% of respondents selected “no religion.” Campaign spokesperson Michael Dove characterized this difference as evidence that the current format overstates Australia’s religiousness and understates the non-religious population by approximately 2 million adults.
The survey tested more than 2,000 people in each format. Dove, describing himself as a “demography nerd,” argued that accurate census data serves as the foundation for informing public debate, policy decisions, and funding allocations. The campaign contends that the Australian Bureau of Statistics should revise its approach to better capture the actual religious composition of the population.
The ABS acknowledged receiving feedback after the 2021 census indicating that the question’s wording assumes respondents have a religion. However, the bureau declined to make changes, citing concerns that alterations would compromise data comparability with previous censuses. The ABS stated it consulted with both religious and secular organizations and determined it could not design a question meeting all identified needs while maintaining historical continuity.
For the 2026 census scheduled for 11 August, the ABS has implemented modifications including reordering categories to reflect the most common religious groups and updating instructions and examples. Dove indicated the campaign will shift its focus toward advocating for changes to be considered in the 2031 census.
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