Census 2016: Aussies losing their religion as Islam soars by 160%
Islam is on the rise and more Australians are identifying as having no religion, according to the results of the 2016 Census.
The 2016 Census results have been released today showing the number of Australians who identify as Muslim has grown 160 per cent since 1991.
Buddhism and Hinduism have also increased by 200 per cent and 533 per cent respectively.
Islam represents 2.6 per cent of Australians, compared to 2.2 per cent in 2011, while 2.4 per cent of Australians identify as Buddhist and 1.9 per cent as Hindu.
More and more Australians are identifying as Muslim. Source: AAP
The census also shows 30 per cent of Australians identified as having no religion, compared with 25 per cent in the 2011 census.
Meanwhile, the number of Australians speaking only English at home fell from almost 77 per cent in 2011 to almost 73 per cent in 2016.
The figures showed nearly half of the population are either first or second generation Australians - either being born overseas or with a parent born overseas.
And of the more than six million born overseas, almost 20 per cent have arrived since 2012.
More than six million Australians were born overseas. Source: AAP
England and New Zealand are still the most common countries of birth after Australia, but a growing number are born in China and India.
The census figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday, identified more than 300 languages are being spoken in Australian homes.
After English, the most common languages are Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese and Vietnamese.
Chief statistician David Kalisch insists the data is high quality, despite the problems that plagued the collection of the information in August when the bureau's online census website crashed.
The census had a response rate of 95 per cent he said, with 63 per cent completing it online.
"The independent assurance panel I established to provide extra assurance and transparency of census data quality concluded that the 2016 Census data can be used with confidence," he said.
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"Census data provides a detailed, accurate and fascinating picture of Australia, which will be used to inform critical policy, planning and service delivery decisions for our communities over the coming years."
Perth - Australia's fastest growing region
The figures showed two thirds of the population now live in capital cities, with five million in Sydney and four-and-a-half million in Melbourne.
Perth was the fastest growing region in Australia while the Tasmanian capital boasted the lowest housing costs, with the median weekly rent coming in at $260.
Darwin had the highest median weekly income at $1052 while Adelaide had the lowest at $617.
Australians still mainly live in capital cities. Source: AAP
Meanwhile, more Australians are identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, with 2.8 per cent in 2016 compared with 2.5 per cent in 2011.
The figures revealed the median age among the indigenous community was 23, compared with 38 for the non-indigenous population.
