Islam in Australia

Islam in Australia has grown with the number of immigrants to that cosmopolitan country from outside Europe].

Islam in Australia is a minority religious affiliation. According to the 2011 census, 476,291 people, or 2.2% of the total Australian population, were Muslims . This made Islam the fourth largest religious grouping, after all forms of Christianity (61.1%), irreligion (22.9%), and Buddhism (2.5%). Demographers attribute Muslim community growth trends during the most recent census period to relatively high birth rates, and recent immigration patterns. Adherents of Islam represent the majority of the population in Cocos (Keeling) Islands . Australia's Muslim population is expected to rise to 714,000 by 2030. The vast majority of Muslims in Australia belong to Sunni denomination, with sizeable Shia and Sufi minorities. While the Australian Muslim community is defined largely by religious belonging , the Muslim community is fragmented racially , ethnically , culturally and linguistically . Members of the Australian Muslim community thus also espouse parallel non-religious ethnic identities with related non-Muslim counterparts, either within Australia or abroad.

Islam in Australia is a minority religious affiliation. According to the 2016 Australian Census , the combined number of people who self-identified as Muslim in Australia , from all forms of Islam , constituted 604,200 people, or 2.6% of the total Australian population, an increase of over 15% of its previous population share of 2.2% reported in the previous census 5 years earlier. Of that earlier 2.2% figure, "some estimate more than half are non-practicing" cultural Muslims stemming from all the varying denominations and sects of Islam present in Australia. That total Muslim population makes Islam , in all its denominations and sects, the second largest religious grouping in Australia, after all denominations and sects of Christianity (52.2%, also including practicing and non-practicing cultural Christians ). Demographers attribute Muslim community growth trends during the most recent census period to relatively high birth rates, and recent immigration patterns. Adherents of Islam represent the majority of the population in Cocos (Keeling) Islands , an external territory of Australia . The vast majority of Muslims in Australia belong to the two major denominations of Islam, the Sunni and Shia denominations, with the followers of each of these further split along different Madh'hab (schools of thought within Islamic jurisprudence for the interpretation and practice of Islamic law ). There are also practitioners of other smaller denominations of Islam , including Ahmadiyya Muslim Australians of various national backgrounds, Ibadi Muslim Australians of Omani descent, as well as some non-denominational Muslims , and approximately 20,000 Druze Australians whose religion emerged as an offshoot of Islam which arrived in Australia with the immigration of Druze mainly from Lebanon and Syria. There are also Sufi (Islamic mysticism ) minorities among Muslim practitioners in Australia. While the overall Australian Muslim community is defined largely by a common religious identity with "Islam", Australia's Muslims are not a monolithic community. The Australian Muslim community is fragmented into not only the traditional sectarian divisions of what each sect defines as Islam, but it is also extremely diverse racially , ethnically , culturally and linguistically . Different Muslim groups within the Australian Muslim community thus also espouse parallel non-religious ethnic identities with related non-Muslim counterparts, either within Australia or abroad.

Overview of the role of the Islam in Australia The Adelaide Mosque in Adelaide , South Australia is amongst the oldest mosques in Australia having been built in 1888-89. Islam in Australia is a minority religious affiliation. According to the 2021 Census in Australia , the combined number of people who self-identified as Muslims in Australia , from all forms of Islam , constituted 813,392 people, or 3.2% of the total Australian population. That total Muslim population makes Islam, in all its denominations and sects, the second largest religious grouping in Australia, after all denominations of Christianity (43.9%, also including non-practicing cultural Christians ). Demographers attribute Muslim community growth trends during the most recent census period to relatively high birth rates, and recent immigration patterns. Adherents of Islam represent the majority of the population in Cocos (Keeling) Islands , an external territory of Australia . The vast majority of Muslims in Australia are Sunni , with significant minorities belonging to the Shia denomination. The followers of each of these are further split along different Madhhab (schools of thought within Islamic jurisprudence for the interpretation and practice of Islamic law ) and Sub-Sect . There are also practitioners of other smaller denominations of Islam such as Ibadi Muslim Australians of Omani descent, and approximately 20,000 Druze Australians whose religion emerged as an offshoot of Islam which arrived in Australia with the immigration of Druze mainly from Lebanon and Syria. There are also Sufi (Islamic mysticism ) minorities among Muslim practitioners in Australia. While the overall Australian Muslim community is defined largely by a common religious identity , Australia's Muslims are not a monolithic community. The Australian Muslim community has traditional sectarian divisions and is also extremely diverse racially , ethnically , culturally and linguistically . Different Muslim groups within the Australian Muslim community thus also espouse parallel non-religious ethnic identities with related non-Muslim counterparts, either within Australia or abroad. "2071.0 - Reflecting a Nation: Stories from the 2011 Census, 2012–2013" . 21 June 2012 .

Islam is the second-largest religion in Australia . According to the 2021 Census in Australia , the combined number of people who self-identified as Australian Muslims , from all forms of Islam , constituted 813,392 people, or 3.2% of the total Australian population . That total Muslim population makes Islam, in all its denominations and sects, the second largest religious grouping in Australia, after all denominations of Christianity (43.9%, also including non-practicing cultural Christians ). Demographers attribute Muslim community growth trends during the most recent census period to relatively high birth rates, and recent immigration patterns. Adherents of Islam represent the majority of the population in Cocos (Keeling) Islands , an external territory of Australia . The vast majority of Muslims in Australia are Sunni , with significant minorities belonging to the Shia denomination. The followers of each of these are further split along different Madhhab (schools of thought within Islamic jurisprudence for the interpretation and practice of Islamic law ) and Sub-Sect . There are also practitioners of other smaller denominations of Islam such as Ibadi Muslim Australians of Omani descent, and approximately 20,000 Druze Australians whose religion emerged as an offshoot of Islam which arrived in Australia with the immigration of Druze mainly from Lebanon and Syria. There are also Sufi (Islamic mysticism ) minorities among Muslim practitioners in Australia. While the overall Australian Muslim community is defined largely by a common religious identity , Australia's Muslims are not a monolithic community. The Australian Muslim community has traditional sectarian divisions and is also extremely diverse racially , ethnically , culturally and linguistically . Different Muslim groups within the Australian Muslim community thus also espouse parallel non-religious ethnic identities with related non-Muslim counterparts, either within Australia or abroad. "2021 Census of Population and Housing: General Community Profile" (XLSX) . Australian Bureau of Statistics . "2021 Census of Population and Housing: General Community Profile" (XLSX) . Australian Bureau of Statistics . "2071.0 - Reflecting a Nation: Stories from the 2011 Census, 2012–2013" . 21 June 2012 .