Whalan
Religion
In Whalan in 2016, the largest religious group was Western (Roman) Catholic (24.7% of all people), while 21.4% of people had no religion and 10.5% did not answer the question on religion.
Whalan's religion statistics provide an indicator of cultural identity and ethnicity when observed in conjunction with other key variables. Religion data reveal the major concentrations of religions as well as revealing the proportion of people with no religious affiliation. There are a number of reasons for different religious compositions across areas including the country of birth and ethnic background of the population, the age of the population (belief in religion is generally stronger, the older the population) and changes in values and belief systems.
Whalan's religion statistics should be analysed in conjunction with other ethnicity statistics such as Country of Birth data and Language Spoken data to assist in identifying specific cultural and ethnic groups.
Please note: Due to changes in ABS rules around perturbation and additivity of data to protect the confidentiality of individuals, counts of individual religion groups and totals derived from them may differ slightly from those published by the ABS.
Derived from the Census question:
'What is the person's religion?'
Total population
| Religion - Summary | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whalan - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2016 | 2011 | Change | |||||
| Religion totals | Number | % | Bidwill % | Number | % | Bidwill % | 2011 to 2016 | |
 Christian total | 3,447 | 57.7 | 55.5 | 35500 | 4,247 | 71.5 | 68.8 | -800 |
| Non Christian total | 582 | 9.7 | 5.9 | 35501 | 442 | 7.4 | 4.6 | +140 |
| Non-classifiable religious belief | 39 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 35502 | 25 | 0.4 | 0.5 | +14 |
| No Religion/secular beliefs | 1,277 | 21.4 | 24.7 | 35503 | 745 | 12.5 | 16.6 | +532 |
| Not stated | 628 | 10.5 | 13.4 | 35504 | 481 | 8.1 | 9.6 | +147 |
| Total Population | 5,973 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 5,940 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +33 | |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 2011 and 2016. Compiled and presented by .id (opens a new window)(informed decisions).
(Usual residence data)
| Religion - Ranked by size | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whalan - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2016 | 2011 | Change | |||||
| Religion | Number | % | Bidwill % | Number | % | Bidwill % | 2011 to 2016 | |
| Western (Roman) Catholic | 1,474 | 24.7 | 21.8 | 35044 | 1,731 | 29.1 | 28.4 | -257 |
| Anglican | 895 | 15.0 | 15.7 | 35000 | 1,381 | 23.2 | 20.7 | -486 |
| Islam | 352 | 5.9 | 3.7 | 35017 | 270 | 4.5 | 2.9 | +82 |
| Other Christian | 203 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 35027 | 7 | 0.1 | -- | +196 |
| Pentecostal | 133 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 35033 | 146 | 2.5 | 1.3 | -13 |
| Hinduism | 127 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 35016 | 100 | 1.7 | 0.4 | +27 |
| Presbyterian and Reformed | 124 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 35036 | 195 | 3.3 | 2.7 | -71 |
| Latter Day Saints (Mormons) | 110 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 35020 | 88 | 1.5 | 1.8 | +22 |
| Uniting Church | 101 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 35043 | 148 | 2.5 | 3.4 | -47 |
| Other Protestant | 83 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 35034 | 56 | 0.9 | 1.5 | +27 |
| Greek Orthodox | 73 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 35015 | 71 | 1.2 | 0.6 | +2 |
| Baptist | 71 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 35006 | 76 | 1.3 | 1.3 | -5 |
| Coptic Orthodox | 41 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 35014 | 54 | 0.9 | 0.1 | -13 |
| Seventh Day Adventist | 41 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 35040 | 61 | 1.0 | 1.6 | -20 |
| Buddhism | 37 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 35008 | 57 | 1.0 | 0.7 | -20 |
| Jehova's Witnesses | 33 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 35018 | 16 | 0.3 | 0.7 | +17 |
| Sikhism | 29 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 35041 | 3 | 0.1 | -- | +26 |
| Other Eastern Orthodox | 20 | 0.3 | -- | 35029 | 26 | 0.4 | 0.3 | -6 |
| Baha'i | 18 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 35005 | 3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | +15 |
| Churches of Christ | 14 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 35013 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | +14 |
| Salvation Army | 10 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 35038 | 15 | 0.3 | 0.5 | -5 |
| Other Eastern Catholic | 10 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 35028 | 3 | 0.1 | -- | +7 |
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Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing (opens a new window) 2011 and 2016. Compiled and presented by .id (opens a new window)(informed decisions).
Excludes religions with fewer than 10 adherents.
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Compiled and presented in profile.id by .id (informed decisions).
Dominant groups
Analysis of the religious affiliation of the population of Whalan in 2016 compared to Bidwill shows that there was a higher proportion of people who professed a religion and a lower proportion who stated they had no religion.
Overall, 67.5% of the population nominated a religion, and 21.4% said they had no religion, compared with 61.4% and 24.7% respectively for Bidwill.
The largest single religion in Whalan was Western (Roman) Catholic, with 24.7% of the population or 1,474 people as adherents.
The major differences between the religious affiliation for the population of Whalan and Bidwill were:
- A larger percentage who nominated Western (Roman) Catholic (24.7% compared to 21.8%)
- A larger percentage who nominated Islam (5.9% compared to 3.7%)
- A larger percentage who nominated Hinduism (2.1% compared to 0.7%)
- A smaller percentage who nominated Seventh Day Adventist (0.7% compared to 1.8%)
Emerging groups
The largest changes in the religious affiliation of the population in Whalan between 2011 and 2016 were for those who nominated:
- Anglican (-486 persons)
- Western (Roman) Catholic (-257 persons)
- Other Christian (+196 persons)
- Islam (+82 persons)