Mark McCrindle, founder and head of the McCrindle research company has been collecting data on Australians for two decades. The Other Cheek decided to find out what he has learned on that journey of discovery.
1. Mark, after twenty years of researching, what are the major changes you have seen in the Australian community? How have we changed?
Over the past two decades, Australia has undergone quite a transformation. We’ve grown rapidly, our population has increased by more than six million people, driven by both natural increase and significant migration. That’s reshaped our communities, workplaces, and even our national identity. We’re now more culturally diverse than ever before, more urbanised, more digitally connected, and more educated.
At the same time, we’ve become more values-driven, particularly among younger generations. Australians today are passionate about purpose, meaning, and impact. There’s been a shift from institutional trust towards relational influence, and from tradition to innovation. That doesn’t mean we’ve lost our way, it just means that what connects us and motivates us as a society is changing.
2. What major changes among Australian Christians have come up in research?
The declining proportion of Christians in Australia has dominated much of the public discussion about religion in recent years. Below these surface headlines, however, there is a more nuanced picture of Australia’s religious identity.
Although less than half of Australians currently consider themselves Christians, we’ve seen a steady stream of people moving from ‘no religion’ to identifying with Christianity, over the last two decades. The most common reasons Australians change their religious identity to Christian are because they feel a spiritual connection or sense of divine presence that draws them to Christianity or because they find personal meaning and purpose through Christianity.
Additionally, beyond those who identify as Christian, many say they are open to spiritual conversations involving perspectives that differ from their own, highlighting an opportunity for the Church and Christians to connect with members of the community.
3. How has the perception of Christians changed in Australia? How should that affect the way Christians communicate?
In previous generations, Christianity was often seen as a positive moral influence or even the norm. Today, there’s more scepticism, and sometimes suspicion, especially when it comes to institutional religion. Some Australians associate Christianity with outdated views or exclusive attitudes.
That’s why it’s so important for Christians to lead with empathy, humility, and lived-out values. The most powerful form of communication today is not proclamation, but demonstration. Australians are asking: “Do your actions align with your words?” The opportunity here is to build trust through service, authenticity, and kindness, showing rather than just telling.
4. Projecting forward – what do you expect to happen next… or is that a silly question?
It’s not a silly question at all, it’s the question that drives our research! We’re seeing some clear trends that will shape the future. Technological disruption will continue to redefine how we live and work. Demographically, we’ll become even more generationally diverse, by the 2030s, five generations will be side by side in the workforce. And the rising generations, Generation Alpha and Generation Beta, will be the most digitally immersed, globally connected, and materially endowed generation we’ve ever seen.
For the Church, that means continuing to adapt, without losing the message. The timeless truths of the Gospel will always be relevant, but how we communicate them needs to shift with the times. The future will be shaped by those who are willing to listen deeply and lead with integrity.
5. What gives you hope?
What gives me hope is the next generation. I’ve spent most of my career researching children, teenagers, and young adults, and while they’re growing up in complex times, they are thoughtful, creative, inclusive, and passionate about making a difference.
I’m also encouraged by the way communities pull together in times of crisis. We saw it during the bushfires, the pandemic, and even in day-to-day moments of need. Australians have a strong sense of mateship and social conscience.
And finally, I’m hopeful because I believe that purpose will always rise to the surface. Whether it’s in faith, family, or the future of our nation, there is a deep desire among Australians to live lives that matter. That’s something worth celebrating and building on.