Mobile Menu

Religious Services in Australia - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Danny Martin Danny Martin Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: October 2025 ANZSIC S9540

Revenue

$4.3bn

2025-26

$4.3bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

39,208

Businesses

175

Wages

$X.Xbn

Religious Services in Australia industry analysis

Australian religious services have struggled to tap into the country's growing population and facilitate ongoing donations from younger generations. A growing portion of Australians self-identify as non-religious, significantly eroding total activity in this industry. This trend has continued, despite high immigration rates from regions with strong religious adherence. While attendance has risen since pandemic lockdowns, the decline in adherence to most traditional Christian faiths is outstripping growth in adherence to most non-Christian religions. However, a recent surge in migration, coupled with the integration of online services and digital donations, has helped stem this downwards trend. Many donations are coming through online channels, keeping in-person costs lower and allowing religious institutions to grow their funding surpluses. Overall, revenue generated by religious groups is expected to shrink at an annualised 0.9% over the five years through 2025-26, to $4.3 billion.

Trends and Insights

  • Church attendance in Australia has hit historic lows. Not only are fewer people attending Christian churches, but those who do attend are doing so less often.
  • The number of people identifying with Christian denominations has dropped precipitously. Non-Christian denominations are steadily increasing their share of religious contributions as migration increases their share of total religious adherents.
  • Rising migration to eastern states is increasing the number of establishments catering to Asian religions. There are rapidly growing Hindu and Buddhist communities in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, encouraging the establishment of new industry establishments.
  • Adherence to Christianity in Australia is declining rapidly as migration drives growth in non-Christian religions. Christianity no longer represents a majority of the Australian population.
Show more

Get more expert insights that help you cut through the noise.

Get fast answers to complex questions about your business or your client’s industry. Annual memberships include unlimited access to data and analysis for thousands of industries globally.

Get in Touch

Unlock Expert Insights with Full Platform Access

  • Human Driven & Verified Analysis
  • Structured Database Powering Workflows
  • Intelligent Tools Empowering Confident Decisions
  • Insight where-and how- you need them

How you can access insights on the Religious Services in Australia industry

The Religious Services in Australia Industry Report is available in multiple formats to fit seamlessly into your workflow.

IBISWorld Platform

Answer any industry question in minutes with our entire database at your fingertips.

Screen of the IBISWorld platform user interface Book a demo

API Data Delivery

Feed trusted, human-driven industry intelligence straight into your platform.

Code example of using the IBISWorld API API documentation

Integrations

Streamline your workflow with IBISWorld’s intelligence built into your toolkit.

Screen of Client Application integrating with IBISWorld data View integrations

Related Coverage

Understand the landscape with full access to an IBISWorld license

Competitors

  • There are no industries to display.

Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 0.9 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $4.3bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Religious institutions have embraced new digital profiles to connect with Australians

  • Even before the pandemic, many institutions were already looking to modernise their approaches to delivering spiritual services. For example, Pentecostal megachurches regularly invest in live streaming and recording their services, enabling online distribution and archiving so people can watch at more convenient times.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Religious Services in Australia
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Non-Christian adherents will be the primary source of revenue growth

  • The rising participation in non-Christian religions, driven by migration, is set to spur growth in establishment numbers after a decade of declines. As larger and more geographically disparate Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic communities develop, they will establish religious organisations to serve their members.

Biggest companies in the Religious Services in Australia

Company
Market Share (%)
2026
Revenue
2026

There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Religious Services in Australia industry.

Products & Services Segmentation

Religious Services in Australia
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Catholic services, Anglican Church services and Other Christian services. Catholic services is the largest segment of the Religious Services in Australia.

Trends and Insights

The shrinking Catholic share of the population has weighed on donations

  • The decline in the number of people identifying as Catholic has been one of the highest, behind only the Anglican denomination. That's why Catholic services have decreased as a share of industry revenue.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The industry consists of religious organisations operated for religious worship or for the promotion of religious activities. The industry includes churches, temples and monasteries. It also includes organisations primarily engaged in administering an organised religion.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Religious Services industry in Australia include Bible society operation , Church operation, Convent operation, Diocesan registry operation, Missionary operation, Monastery operation, Mosque operation, Religious organisation operation, Religious shrine and temple operation and Synagogue operation.

Companies

Companies covered in the Religious Services industry in Australia include .

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Religious Services industry in Australia include attendance, adherence and bequest.

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 9540 - Religious Services in Australia

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Church attendance in Australia has hit historic lows. Not only are fewer people attending Christian churches, but those who do attend are doing so less often.

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

The number of people identifying with Christian denominations has dropped precipitously. Non-Christian denominations are steadily increasing their share of religious contribu...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Rising migration to eastern states is increasing the number of establishments catering to Asian religions. There are rapidly growing Hindu and Buddhist communities in New Sou...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Adherence to Christianity in Australia is declining rapidly as migration drives growth in non-Christian religions. Christianity no longer represents a majority of the Austral...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Religious Services in Australia industry.

Analyst insights

Funding between individual churches and organising committees is often opaque. Churches cover their own expenses, with surplus funds sent to common pools. No major players re...

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Religious establishments have used digital technologies to engage with adherents as attendance drops off. Many industry establishments have developed online profiles and comm...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Religious organisations are seeing their finances bounce back thanks to increased migration. The rise in new arrivals and easier online donations are helping offset the chall...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Religious Services industry in Australia in 2025?

The market size of the Religious Services industry in Australia is $4.3bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Religious Services industry in Australia in 2025?

There are 175 businesses in the Religious Services industry in Australia, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.8 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Religious Services industry in Australia?

The Religious Services industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Religious Services industry in Australia?

The Religious Services industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Religious Services industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Religious Services industry in Australia has been declining at a CAGR of 0.9 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Religious Services industry in Australia over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Religious Services industry in Australia is expected to grow.

What does the Religious Services industry in Australia include?

Bible society operation and Church operation are part of the Religious Services industry in Australia.

How competitive is the Religious Services industry in Australia?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Religious Services industry in Australia.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Australia include:

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

feedback