BELIEF IN A GOD: 68 per cent
This figure fell slowly for a long time. Essentially all of us called ourselves believers at the time of Federation but the number slipped a little at nearly every census that followed. By the turn of this century we reached the level where we seem stuck today - in the high 60s.
Nielsen polled not only Christians. There were also Muslims, Buddhists and Jews (collectively 6 per cent of the population) plus tiny numbers of obscure faiths all the way down, perhaps, to Jedi (another 6 per cent). Another 5 per cent declared faith not in a personal God but a Universal Spirit or Life Force.
Some of those count themselves as Christian and are scattered through all denominations. Their number is probably growing. The more conventional Christians, those who believe in - and occasionally worship - a personal God, make up a neat 50 per cent of the nation.