1. INTRODUCTION
The Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset (ACLD) uses data from the Census of Population and Housing to build a rich longitudinal picture of Australian society. This product was formerly known as the Statistical Longitudinal Census Dataset (SLCD). In this first release, a sample of almost one million records from the 2006 Census (Wave 1) was brought together with corresponding records from the 2011 Census (Wave 2) to form the largest longitudinal dataset in Australia. As subsequent Censuses are added to the ACLD, its value as a resource for longitudinal population studies will increase.
This paper describes the background and rationale for the ACLD, the data linkage methodology used and an assessment of its quality.