The number of Christians in what is often referred to as New Zealand's "Bible Belt" is on the decline but the number of people identifying themselves as being of Hindu or Sikh faith has skyrocketed.
Census results show the number of Christians in the Tauranga City and the Western Bay of Plenty District Council areas has dropped by more than 5 per cent, despite the region's growth.
Figures show 68,547 identified themselves as Christian in 2013, compared to 72,363 in 2006.
The number of people identifying themselves as Sikh more than doubled from 1038 in 2006 to 2403 in 2013, while the number who identified themselves as Hindu rose from 798 to 1374.
Indian migrant Ramesh Sharma, who is of the Hindu faith, said there were now three Sikh temples in the Western Bay, the most recent of which opened in 15th Ave less than two years ago.