Lyla Lindsey
Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in Australia, with the number of Muslims in Victoria soaring from 109,369 in 2006 to 273,028 in 2021. The Muslim population in Australia numbered 813,392 individuals in 2021, representing about 3.2% of the country's population. The growth of Islam in Australia is attributed to globalisation and immigration from Asia and the Middle East, with Muslims in Australia having diverse backgrounds ranging from Middle Eastern to South-East Asian. While Islam is growing in Australia, the country is also becoming increasingly secular, with almost half of Australians reporting that they never attend religious services and a decline in those identifying with Christianity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Muslims in Australia | 800,000 (3.2% of the country's population) to 813,392 (as per the 2021 census) |
| Number of Muslims in Victoria | 273,028 in 2021 (4.5% of Victoria's population) |
| Number of Muslims in Melbourne | 258,250 in 2021 (5.3% of the city's population) |
| Number of Muslims in New South Wales | 50% of the total number of Muslims in Australia |
| Number of Muslims in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, ACT, Northern Territory, and Tasmania | 33%, 5%, 7%, 3%, 1%, 0.3%, and 0.3% respectively |
| Percentage of Muslims born in Lebanon and Turkey | 9% and 7% respectively |
| Percentage of Muslims who are Australian-born | 48% |
| Percentage of Australians who identify with Christianity | 43.9% |
| Percentage of Australians who declare "no religion" | 38.9% |
| Percentage of Muslims who are women facing inequality and hurdles | N/A |
| Percentage of Muslim men with multiple wives | N/A |
| Year of the first contact between Islam and Australia | Pre-1788 |
| Year of the building of the first mosque in Australia | 1861 |
| Year of the establishment of the Muslim Community Reference Group | 2005 |
| Percentage increase in Islamophobic attacks | 1300% |
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What You'll Learn
- Islam is one of Australia's fastest-growing religions
- Muslims make up about 3.2% of Australia's population
- The Muslim population in Victoria has soared from 109,369 in 2006 to 273,028 in 2021
- Muslim leaders have criticised the current Grand Mufti of Australia
- Gender inequality in Islam is often the focal point of criticism in Australia
Islam is one of Australia's fastest-growing religions
The cultural diversity of Muslims in Australia has shifted, with an influx of people from Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Bangladesh, leading to Muslim South Asian migrants surpassing those of Middle Eastern backgrounds. There has also been a significant increase in asylum seekers arriving by boat, many of whom are Muslims fleeing conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. This diversity is reflected in the distribution of Muslims across the states, with New South Wales having 50% of the total number of Muslims, followed by Victoria (33%), Western Australia (7%), Queensland (5%), and other states with smaller percentages.
The traditions of Islam have remained constant for over a thousand years, but the Australian Muslim community has evolved. There has been a rise in Australian-born Muslims, reflecting the community's higher birth rates. Additionally, the establishment of Islamic organisations, financial institutions, and Halal certification authorities further contribute to the growth and accommodation of Islam in Australia.
While Islam is growing, Australia is becoming increasingly secular. Almost half of Australians reported never attending religious services, and the combined percentage of all Christian denominations decreased from 63.9% to 43.9% between 2006 and 2021. Despite this, Australia's religious landscape is becoming more diverse, with a growth in religions like Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism.
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Muslims make up about 3.2% of Australia's population
Islam is one of Australia's fastest-growing religions, with about 800,000 Muslims in the country, constituting around 3.2% of the total population. This is a significant increase from the 1980s when Muslims made up only 0.53% of the population. The growth of the Muslim population in Australia is part of a broader trend of increasing religious diversity in the country, which also includes the growth of religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism.
The Muslim population in Australia is diverse, with backgrounds ranging from the Middle East to South-East Asia. Lebanese Muslims form the core of the Muslim Arab population, particularly in Sydney, where most Arabs in Australia live. In recent years, there has been an influx of Muslim migrants from South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Bangladesh, surpassing the number of Muslims from Middle Eastern backgrounds. Additionally, there has been a surge of migration from Indonesia, the country closest to Australia, as well as a rise in Australian-born Muslims, reflecting the community's higher birth rates.
The distribution of Muslims across Australia varies by state. New South Wales has the highest number of Muslims, accounting for 50% of the total Muslim population in the country, followed by Victoria with 33%, Western Australia with 7%, Queensland with 5%, and other states with smaller percentages. Melbourne, in Victoria, has a significant Muslim population, with about 4.2% of residents in Greater Melbourne identifying as Muslim. Sydney, in New South Wales, also has a substantial Muslim population, with approximately 3.4% of the city's population being Muslim.
While Islam is growing in Australia, it has faced challenges. There have been concerns about radicalization and extremism within a small minority of the Muslim community, leading to increased funding to combat home-grown terrorism. Additionally, Muslim women in Australia can face hurdles and gender inequality, both within the Muslim community and from wider societal perceptions. Furthermore, Islamophobic attacks have increased, particularly in response to global conflicts and tensions. Despite these challenges, the Muslim community in Australia exhibits resilience, and the growth of Islam reflects the country's increasing religious diversity and globalization.
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$110
The Muslim population in Victoria has soared from 109,369 in 2006 to 273,028 in 2021
Islam is the second-largest religion in Australia, with 813,392 people identifying as Muslim in the 2021 Census, making up 3.2% of the total population. This number has increased from 340,392 in the 2006 census. The Muslim population in Victoria, Australia, has seen a significant increase from 109,369 in 2006 to 273,028 in 2021. This growth in Victoria is part of a broader trend of Islam becoming one of Australia's fastest-growing religions. In 2021, Muslims constituted 5.3% of Greater Melbourne's population, with around 258,250 people reporting their religious affiliation as Islam.
The growth of the Muslim population in Victoria and Australia is attributed to globalisation and immigration from Asia and the Middle East. The distribution of Muslims by state in Australia in 2006 showed that New South Wales had 50% of the total Muslim population, followed by Victoria with 33%, Western Australia with 7%, Queensland with 5%, South Australia with 3%, and the Australian Capital Territory with 1%. Both the Northern Territory and Tasmania shared 0.3% of the Muslim population. The 2006 census also revealed that 58% of Muslims in Australia were born overseas, with 9% born in Lebanon and 7% in Turkey.
The Muslim community in Victoria, and Australia more broadly, is diverse, with backgrounds ranging from the Middle East to South-East Asia. This diversity is reflected in the various Islamic organisations and institutions that have been established in the country. For example, Egyptian Muslims in Sydney are represented by the Islamic Egyptian Society, which manages the Arkana College, offering co-educational places. Additionally, there are close to two dozen Halal certification authorities in Australia, catering to the needs of the Muslim community.
While Islam is growing in Victoria and Australia, it is important to note that the country is also becoming increasingly secular. This secularisation is accompanied by a rise in diverse religions, including Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. Despite the growth of Islam, there have been concerns about Islamophobia in Australia. Islamophobia Register Australia data showed a thirteenfold increase in Islamophobic attacks compared to the previous year, highlighting the challenges faced by the Muslim community in Victoria and Australia.
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Muslim leaders have criticised the current Grand Mufti of Australia
Islam is a growing religion in Australia, with the Muslim population increasing from 281,578 in 2001 to 813,392 in 2021.
The current Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, has been criticised by Muslim leaders for his response to the November 2015 Paris attacks. Ameer Ali stated that one of the problems with the Mufti is his inability to communicate in English, which means he has to rely on those around him for interpretation. Anthony Albanese described the Grand Mufti's contribution as "completely unacceptable".
In addition to criticism from Muslim leaders, the Grand Mufti has also faced scrutiny from the media and politicians. The Daily Telegraph, for example, published articles with headlines such as "The unwise mufti" and "Even Hamas condemn the Paris attacks so why won’t Australia’s Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohammed?".
Ibrahim Abu Mohammed has also been criticised for his inability to unite the diverse Australian Muslim community, which includes Sunni, Shi'ite, Bektashi, Ahmadi, Alawi, and Druze followers. Scholars like Abdalla (2011) and Black & Hosen (2009) argue that a single religious authority cannot adequately represent the varying traditions and backgrounds of Australian Muslims. Instead, they propose the formation of a council of imams from different Islamic traditions, as well as specialists in medicine, law, and finance, to provide a more comprehensive source of guidance for the community.
Furthermore, concerns have been raised over the radicalisation of young Muslim men in Australia, and the Grand Mufti has been criticised for not adequately addressing this issue. Abu Mohammed has attributed the radicalisation to the spread of "backyard prayer halls" led by self-styled imams preaching extremist ideologies. However, critics argue that his proposed solution of building larger mosques may not be feasible due to frequent rejections from local councils.
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Gender inequality in Islam is often the focal point of criticism in Australia
Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in Australia, with the Muslim population of Australia numbering 813,392 individuals as of the 2021 census. The number of people identifying as Muslim in Victoria has soared from 109,369 in 2006 to 273,028 in 2021, now making up about 4.5% of Victoria's population. Muslims in Australia have diverse backgrounds, ranging from Middle Eastern to South-East Asian, and Australian-born Muslims are also on the rise.
Despite the growth of Islam in Australia, gender inequality in Islam is often the focal point of criticism in the country. Muslim women can face hurdles both from within the Muslim community and from wider Australian society. For example, a "growing number of Muslim men [have] multiple wives", and while the exact number of polygamist Muslim families in Australia is unknown, Islamic Friendship Association of Australia president Keysar Trad stated that there were "not many more than 50".
In the context of religious spaces, the intersection of religion, gender, and physical space (such as the mosque) further complicates the issue of gender inequality in Islam. The majority of women in a study on the topic challenged the male-dominated structure and the current practice of gender segregation in Australian mosques. They expressed the need for urgent change in the male-dominated structure of the mosque and the attitudes of Imams and religious leaders to accommodate Muslim women's requests for gender equality. However, some women in the study accepted gender segregation based on religious teachings or Islamic traditions.
The complex intersection of gender and religion in public sacred spaces, such as mosques, has resulted in restricted roles and visibility for women. They are often invisible in both public sacred spaces and public rituals like congregational prayers. This reflects an "overall prioritization of male space and needs" and the dominant conservative interpretation of Islam, which considers women as a source of "Fitnah" or temptation.
While critics may point to these interpretations and practices as evidence of gender inequality in Islam, others argue that what is perceived as inequality is actually equality in its best form. They contend that Islam recognises the natural differences between men and women and assigns complementary roles and responsibilities accordingly. For instance, due to women's ability to give birth and their natural role in caring for newborns, they are given a central role in child-rearing, while men are assigned the role of financially supporting the family.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Islam is one of Australia's fastest-growing religions. In Victoria, the number of people identifying as Muslim soared from 109,369 in 2006 to 273,028 in 2021. Muslims now make up about 4.5% of Victoria's population and about 3.2% of the country's population.
According to the 2021 census, the Muslim population of Australia numbered 813,392 individuals, representing about 3.2% of the country's population.
New South Wales has 50% of the total number of Muslims in Australia, followed by Victoria (33%), Western Australia (7%), Queensland (5%), South Australia (3%), ACT (1%), and Northern Territory and Tasmania (0.3% each).
The rise of Islam in Australia is attributed to globalisation and immigration from Asia and the Middle East. Australia's Muslim population has become more culturally diverse, with an influx of people from Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, as well as a rise in Australian-born Muslims.
