Religion by Country
Religion in New Zealand: Statistics, Demographics & Trends
New Zealand's 2023 census recorded people with no religion as an outright majority for the first time, overtaking Christianity as the country's largest single category.
Quick answer
New Zealand's 2023 census recorded 51.6% of the population with no religion, up from 48.2% in 2018, marking the first time non-affiliation became an outright majority. Christianity fell to 32.3% (from 36.5% in 2018), while Hinduism (2.9%) and Islam (1.5%) continued to grow, driven largely by immigration from Asia.
- Largest group
- No religion — 51.6%
- Largest religion
- Christianity — 32.3%
- Fastest-growing minority faiths
- Hinduism (2.9%) and Islam (1.5%)
- Data source
- Stats NZ
- Reference year
- Census 2023
New Zealand at a glance
New Zealand's 2023 census, conducted by the national statistics agency Stats NZ, marked a historic milestone: for the first time, people reporting no religion made up an outright majority of the population, at 51.6%, up from 48.2% in 2018. Christianity, once the overwhelming majority religion, continued a decades-long decline to 32.3%, while smaller religions linked to immigration from Asia, particularly Hinduism and Islam, kept growing.
| Religion | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No religion | 2,576,049 | 51.6% |
| Christian | census share | 32.3% |
| Hindu | census share | 2.9% |
| Muslim | census share | 1.5% |
| Other / not stated | census remainder | ≈ 11.7% |
The major religious groups
No religion (51.6%) is now the majority category, continuing a trend that has seen non-affiliation rise by roughly one percentage point a year, or about five percentage points every five years, for several decades. Christianity (32.3%) remains the largest religious tradition, spanning Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian and other denominations, though its share has fallen from well over 90% in the mid-20th century to under a third of the population today. Hinduism (2.9%) and Islam (1.5%) were the fastest-growing religious groups between 2018 and 2023, both fuelled substantially by immigration from South and Southeast Asia.
Māori religious affiliation
New Zealand's census also separately tracks Māori religions and beliefs, including Ratana and Ringatū, syncretic Christian-Māori movements that emerged in the 19th and early 20th centuries and remain religiously and culturally significant among Māori communities specifically, distinct from the mainstream Christian denominations most non-Māori New Zealanders who identify as Christian belong to.
Part of a broader Anglosphere secularising trend
New Zealand's shift to a non-religious majority places it at the leading edge of a broader trend across English-speaking, historically Protestant-influenced countries, several of which have seen the unaffiliated approach or cross 50% in recent years. For comparison with a country following a similar trajectory somewhat later, see religion in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main religion in New Zealand?
As of the 2023 census, no religion is the largest single category at 51.6% of the population, the first time it has formed an outright majority. Christianity remains the largest religious tradition at 32.3%.
Is New Zealand the first country where 'no religion' became a majority?
New Zealand's 2023 census is notable for recording an outright non-religious majority, though it is not unique globally; several other countries, including the Czech Republic and parts of Scandinavia, have also recorded non-religious majorities in various surveys and censuses.
Why are Hinduism and Islam growing in New Zealand?
Both religions grew between the 2018 and 2023 censuses, driven substantially by immigration from South and Southeast Asia, with Hinduism reaching 2.9% of the population and Islam reaching 1.5%.
What are Ratana and Ringatū?
Ratana and Ringatū are syncretic Christian-Māori religious movements that emerged in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and New Zealand's census tracks them as distinct categories from mainstream Christian denominations, reflecting their specific significance within Māori communities.
Sources & methodology
Figures are from the 2023 Census of New Zealand, conducted by Stats NZ, which records self-declared religious affiliation for the full population.
- Stats NZ, Census 2023, religious affiliation results.
- The Post, coverage of Stats NZ 2023 religion data (thepost.co.nz).