Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG)

This latest release of the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG) 2025, includes the following changes:

• Two new stand-alone Cultural and ethnic groups have been added.
• Five Cultural and ethnic groups have had label changes.
• One Cultural and ethnic group was retired and split into two new stand-alone Cultural and ethnic groups.
• Five Cultural and ethnic groups have been retired to the most appropriate ‘not elsewhere classified’ (nec) category.

These changes were developed through a review undertaken in 2025. More information about the review is available below, in the About the review section. Details of the changes made can be found in the What has changed section.

This is the fifth revision since ASCCEG was first published in 2000. The 2025 classification structure and correspondence tables are available from the Data downloads section.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) was used to quality assure the structure and correspondence, found in the Data download section of this product. Microsoft 365 Copilot (M365 Copilot) was used to compare codes and labels between these tables. The output was manually verified.

AI used in the quality assurance of this product was in accordance with applicable legislation, regulations, frameworks and policies. For more details on how the ABS uses AI tools, please see the ABS AI transparency statement.

 The ASCCEG is the Australian statistical standard for classifying cultural and ethnic groups. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) endorses the use of this classification for collecting, aggregating and disseminating data relating to the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Australian population. Use of the ASCCEG by statistical, administrative and service delivery agencies improves the comparability and compatibility of data about ethnicity collected from different sources.

The ABS published the first edition of the ASCCEG in October 2000. A second edition was published in 2005 and revisions to the second edition were published in 2011, 2016 and 2019.

The identification of cultural and ethnic groups in the classification, and the way in which they are grouped, does not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the ABS regarding the recognition of any group by governments, organisations or individuals, or the status accorded them. Nor does it imply the expression of any opinion concerning the relative merit or importance of particular cultural and ethnic groups or the peoples who belong to them.

The words 'ethnicity' and 'ethnic' are associated with many different meanings. For the purposes of the ASCCEG, 'ethnicity' refers to the shared identity or similarity of a group of people on the basis of one or more distinguishing characteristics.

These characteristics include:

• A long shared history, the memory of which is kept alive.
• A cultural tradition, including family and social customs, sometimes religiously based.
• A common geographic origin.
• A common language (but not necessarily limited to that group).
• A common literature (written or oral).
• A common religion.
• Being a minority (often with a sense of being oppressed).
• Being racially conspicuous. 

The description of ethnicity and distinguishing characteristics were established in the report of the 1986 Population Census Ethnicity Committee, chaired by the late Professor W.D. Borrie CBE (published in ABS cat. no. 2172.0 - The Measurement of Ethnicity in the Australian Census of Population and Housing) (the Borrie Report). The key factor for the inclusion of an ethnic group is the group regarding itself and being regarded by others, as a distinct community by virtue of certain characteristics, not all of which have to be present in the case of each ethnic group.

Self-perceived group identification has influenced the content of the ASCCEG more so than historical origins. Cultural and ethnic groups are included to enable:

• Measurement of the extent to which individuals associate with particular groups. Measuring active association produces data for groups which is useful for policy and service delivery needs. This means a number of categories that equate to national cultural identities are included, for example, Australian. A stronger emphasis on historical origins would have resulted in data for more groups with which individuals may have no or little social, cultural or economic affinity.
• The recommended method of collecting ethnicity or ancestry statistics in the ABS and other organisations. It is a self-assessed response to a direct question. No attempt is made to historically determine the origins of individuals. 

Considering ethnicity as a multi-dimensional concept based on a number of distinguishing characteristics using a self-perception approach allows for a practical and useful classification attuned to a concept of what constitutes ethnicity and cultural identity. This approach supports the collection and use of data in statistical, administrative and service delivery settings.

Since the Borrie Report was published, the multicultural nature of Australian society has further developed but the approach to the definition of ethnicity in the report is still relevant and serves the purposes of the ASCCEG.

The scope of the ASCCEG is all cultural and ethnic groups in the world as defined above. In practice, only those cultural and ethnic groups with significant numbers of persons resident in Australia are separately identified in the classification. Those groups not separately identified are included in the most appropriate 'not elsewhere classified' (nec) category of the classification. Nec categories are explained in the About codes section.

The code structure of the classification allows for the addition of Cultural and ethnic groups, as needed.

The classification is not intended to classify people, but rather to classify all claims of association or identification with a cultural or ethnic group.

The ASCCEG has a three-level hierarchical structure that consists of Broad groups, Narrow groups, and Cultural and ethnic groups.

Broad group

This is the highest level of the classification, and these groups are identified by a one-digit code.

There are nine Broad groups. Each one contains between two and five Narrow groups.

Narrow group

This is the second or middle level of the classification and these groups are identified by a two-digit code. The first digit of this code identifies the Broad group that the Narrow group belongs to.

There are 28 Narrow groups. Each one contains between one and 30 Cultural and ethnic groups.

Cultural and ethnic group

This is the base and most detailed level of the classification.

These groups are identified by a four-digit code. The first and second digits of this code identify the Broad (first digit) and Narrow group (second digit) that each group belongs to.

There are 276 Cultural and ethnic groups, including 24 ‘not elsewhere classified’ (nec) categories. Nec categories are explained in About codes.

An example of groups in the hierarchy are provided in Table 1 below.

The classification criteria are the principles by which the base level categories (i.e. Cultural and ethnic groups) of the classification are formed and then aggregated to form broader or higher-level categories in the classification's hierarchical structure.

Two classification criteria are used in the ASCCEG to form the three hierarchical levels:

• Geographic proximity of cultural and ethnic groups. It is the geographic area of the world in which a cultural or ethnic group first became, or was first recognised as, a distinct entity.
• Similar social and cultural characteristics. These include the characteristics described in the Ethnicity section of the Overview. The primary characteristics of similarity used to form and aggregate Cultural and ethnic groups are language spoken and religion practised. Other characteristics considered are family and social customs, national identities, and historical links. Characteristics such as food, music and art traditions also serve as indicators of cultural and social similarity.

The classification criteria have been applied to aggregate:

• Cultural and ethnic groups to form Narrow groups on the basis of geographic proximity and similarity of cultural and social characteristics.
• Narrow groups to form Broad groups on the basis of geographic proximity and a degree of similarity of cultural and social characteristics.

The cultural identities of the peoples of Australia are recognised within the ASCCEG. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are recognised with appropriate categories in the Narrow group 'Australian Peoples' and since European settlement, a distinct Australian cultural identity has emerged prompting the inclusion of 'Australian' in that Narrow group.

Cultural and ethnic group 3308 'Russian' has been classified in Broad group 3 'Southern and Eastern European' on the grounds of cultural similarity with other European cultural and ethnic groups even though much of Russia lies geographically in Asia. As a general rule, cultural and ethnic groups which originated and are located in Russia have also been classified to Europe. It is acknowledged that this is not necessarily the best solution for all cultural and ethnic groups east of the Urals, many of whom are more culturally Asian than European. The principle that has been adopted for the classification of groups in Russia east of the Urals is that those which speak Turkic or Iranic languages are classified to Narrow group 72 Central Asian, while those which speak Finno-Ugric languages are classified to Narrow group 33 Eastern European.

Jewish has been included in Broad group 4 'North African and Middle Eastern'. It is acknowledged that many Jewish people in Australia might not have ties with the Middle East and might consider classification within one of the European Broad groups as more correct. 

However, following consultation with representatives of the Jewish community at the time the ASCCEG was developed, it was decided to adhere to the classification criterion for geographic proximity and include 'Jewish' in 'North African and Middle Eastern' as this is where the Jewish culture originated.

Many people relate to more than one cultural or ethnic group and will give a multiple response to a question on ancestry, ethnicity or cultural identity. Often a response will indicate an identification with a country in a national or cultural sense and will also acknowledge continuing ties with other ethnic or cultural groups, for example, Irish Australian, Italian Australian. Data collection models should be developed to capture multiple responses to enhance usefulness of the output.

The ASCCEG is primarily a classification for collecting statistical data within the Australian context.

Theoretical and conceptual considerations for developing the ASCCEG were constrained by the need to ensure the:

• Practical usefulness of the classification for collecting ancestry data from both statistical and administrative sources in Australia.
• Analytical usefulness of data collected within the framework of the classification.
• Number of Australians identifying with cultural and ethnic groups within each category at each level of the classification.
• Identification of groups which could be significant for policy setting and service delivery purposes.

The effect of these constraints on the classification has been that:

• Some cultural and ethnic groups which are significant in a world context are not separately identified in the structure.
• Cultural and ethnic groups which are not separately identified are included in the most appropriate not elsewhere classified (nec) category.
• Some Broad groups are limited in the number of Narrow groups they subsume.

The classification can accommodate changes to Australia's cultural and ethnic composition and can be used to facilitate comparisons with cultural and ethnicity data from other countries.

The need for periodic reviews of the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG) to reflect changes in the cultural diversity of the Australian population, was foreshadowed when ASCCEG was first released.

A review of ASCCEG was undertaken in 2025; the scope was limited to changes at the most detailed (four-digit) level of the classification. The purpose of the review was to update the ASCCEG so that it reflects the current Australian community.

Overall, these changes have resulted in a decrease of two Cultural and ethnic groups in the 2025 version of the classification (Table 2), compared to the 2019 version.

Details of the changes implemented in this version (ASCCEG 2025) are provided in the section What has changed.

Broader aspects of the classification, including the conceptual model underpinning it, were out of scope for this review.

The 2025 review used statistical analysis, research and stakeholder consultation to identify the need for changes to the ASCCEG, as outlined below. The process used in the 2025 review is broadly consistent with the process used in previous reviews of the ASCCEG.

Statistical analysis

Analysis of Ancestry data from the Census of Population and Housing (2011, 2016 and 2021) was conducted. The purpose of this analysis was to identify cultural and ethnic groups that had significantly changed (increased or decreased), in terms of the number of people that identify with them, since the last review in 2019.

Research

Extensive research was conducted to:

• identify new stand-alone Cultural and ethnic groups
• confirm the appropriate labels for categories in the classification
• retire existing groups to the most appropriate not elsewhere classified (nec) category, where the classification criteria are no longer met.

Stakeholder consultation

There were three phases of stakeholder consultation conducted for the 2025 review:

• public consultation on the scope of the review (April and May 2025).
• consultation with individuals, community groups and government agencies (May to August 2025) outside of the public consultations.
• public consultation on the changes proposed to the ASCCEG (August 2025).

A number of issues raised throughout this review have not been investigated at this time. These will be considered for inclusion in the next review of the ASCCEG. The next review is yet to be scheduled.

The 2025 review of the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and ethnic Groups (ASCCEG) was limited to changes to the lowest (four-digit) level of the classification only. These changes are: 

• Two new stand-alone Cultural and ethnic groups
• Five Cultural and ethnic groups have had label changes
• One Cultural and ethnic group was retired and split into two new stand-alone Cultural and ethnic groups
• Five Cultural and ethnic groups have been retired to the most appropriate 'not elsewhere classified' (nec) category.

Correspondences between the new (2025) and old (2019) versions of the ASCCEG are available in the Data downloads section.

New stand-alone Cultural and ethnic groups

• 4916 Israeli has been separately identified from 4999 Other North African and Middle Eastern, nec (not elsewhere classified)
• 9123 Edo has been separately identified from 9199 Central and West African, nec.

Label changes to Cultural and ethnic groups

Labels were changed for the following five Cultural and ethnic groups:

• 3212 Roma Gypsy updated to 3212 Romani
• 4902 Berber updated to 4902 Amazigh
• 4914 Yezidi updated to 4914 Yazidi
• 7205 Pathan updated to 7205 Pashtun
• 7214 Uighur updated to 7214 Uyghur.

Cultural and ethnic groups that have been retired and split

Assyrian (4908) was retired, and the group was split into two new stand-alone groups: 

• 4915 Assyrian (exclusive of Syriac peoples) and
• 4917 Syriac.

Cultural and ethnic groups that have been retired

The following groups were retired to the most appropriate nec (not elsewhere classified) category:

• 4302 Darfur moved to 4399 Peoples of the Sudan, nec
• 5204 Madurese and 5215 Temoq were both moved to 5299 Maritime South-East Asian, nec
• 9225 Hutu and 9234 Kunama were both moved to 9299 Southern and East African, nec.

No other changes were made to the classification at this time.

Changes to the coding index will reflect the changes across the classification, as outlined above. The coding index will be available on request from early 2026 by contacting standards@abs.gov.au.

An important consideration in the development of a classification is the need to build in sufficient robustness to allow for long-term usage. This robustness facilitates meaningful analysis of data over time; and must be balanced against the need for revisions which ensure the classification is contemporary.

Revisions to ASCCEG occur to reflect changes in the Australian community’s identification with the cultural and ethnic groups to which they belong. This includes identifying groups that are emerging or declining; and reflecting changes in group names (titles). There have been five revisions to ASCCEG since its establishment in 2000 as shown in Table 3 below.

Correspondence tables are available in the Data downloads section. The first enables users to convert data from the sixth edition (2025) to fifth edition (2019) of ASCCEG. The second enables users to convert data from the fifth edition (2019) to the sixth edition (2025).

The correspondence tables itemise the code linkages between groups, details the links between the Broad groups and the Narrow groups, and indicates movements within the structure of particular Cultural and ethnic groups. In some instances, there is not a direct relationship between the groupings of the structures of the two editions. Partial linkages within the structure are indicated by 'p'.

The ASCCEG code scheme has been devised so that any further changes to the classification structure can be easily accommodated. For example, when a Cultural and ethnic group is added, it is allocated a previously unused code. When a Cultural and ethnic group is retired, the code is also retired and not used again.

Broad groups are represented by one-digit codes.

Narrow groups are represented by two-digit codes. The first digit represents the parent Broad group code, and the second digit represents the sequence of Narrow groups within the parent Broad group.

Cultural and ethnic groups are represented by four-digit codes. The first two digits represent the parent Narrow group code, and the final two digits represent the sequence of Cultural and ethnic groups within a Narrow group. The sequence is alphabetical order with the exception of residual 'not elsewhere classified' (nec) categories or where new groups have been added following reviews of the classification.

Cultural and ethnic groups do not have codes ending with '0' or '9' because these codes have specific functions within the code scheme.

The relationship between Broad groups, Narrow groups and Cultural and ethnic groups is shown in the example in Table 4 below.

Not elsewhere classified (nec) categories

Not elsewhere classified (nec) categories capture cultural and ethnic groups that are not separately identified in the main structure of the classification due to their low statistical significance. These categories are represented by four-digit codes where the first two digits identify the Narrow group to which they relate, and the final two digits are '99'. The classification currently has 24 'nec' categories.

'Nec’ codes are part of the main structure of the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG).

'Other' Narrow groups

In some Broad groups, codes are reserved for residual categories at the Narrow group level. Codes start with the Broad group code and end with ‘9’. Titles commence with ‘Other’.

They include separately identified Cultural and ethnic groups which do not fit into substantive Narrow groups on the basis of the classification criteria.

There are two of these groups in the classification - '49 Other North African and Middle Eastern' and '69 Other North-East Asian'.

Additional residual categories

Provision exists in the code structure for the creation of additional residual categories. If experience indicates the need for further residual categories, the ABS will create them and add them to the classification structure. Residual categories are part of the classification structure and should not be used for responses that are not sufficiently detailed to be coded to a separately identified category of the classification. 

Responses that are insufficiently detailed to enable coding to a category in the classification structure should be coded to the most relevant ‘not further defined’ (nfd) category, as outlined below under ‘Supplementary codes ending with zeros’.

Supplementary codes

Supplementary codes are used to code responses that are insufficiently specific for the main classification structure to be used. They are not part of the classification structure and exist only for operational reasons. No data would be coded to them if sufficiently detailed responses were obtained in all instances. Supplementary codes are listed separately in the Data downloads section (Table 2).

Using supplementary codes enables responses or input data which can only be assigned codes at the Broad or Narrow group levels of the classification to be processed within a collection at the four-digit level. The coding process can be as precise as the input data quality allows, preserving data that would otherwise be discarded as uncodable or aggregated with other data to which it is unrelated in the 'inadequately described' supplementary category.

There are three types of supplementary codes:

• Four-digit codes ending with two or more zeroes
• Four-digit codes starting with three zeroes
• Four-digit codes starting with ‘09’.

Supplementary codes ending with zeros

Four-digit codes ending in zeros are known as ‘not further defined‘ (nfd) codes.

They are used to code responses which do not contain sufficient information to be accurately coded to a substantive (four-digit) Cultural or ethnic group, but which can be coded to a higher level (Broad or Narrow group) of the classification structure.

Examples:

1. The response 'Scandinavian' does not contain sufficient information to be coded directly to a substantive cultural and ethnic group, but it can be coded to Narrow group '24 Northern European' which covers all the cultural and ethnic groups that are encompassed by the term 'Scandinavian'. It is allocated the 'nfd' code '2400 Northern European, nfd'.
2. The response 'Celtic' does not contain sufficient information to be coded directly to a Cultural or ethnic group or Narrow group, but it can be coded to Broad group '2 North-West European' as all Celtic Cultural and ethnic groups originated and developed in North-West Europe. It is allocated the 'nfd' code '2000 North-West European, nfd'.

Supplementary codes starting with zeros

Four-digit codes starting with '000' enable coding of responses that cannot be coded to any category in the ASCCEG.

There are two supplementary codes of this kind: 

• '0000 Inadequately described' and
• '0001 Not stated'.

Supplementary codes starting with '09'

Four-digit codes starting with '09' are used to code ancestry responses which broadly describe the region of origin but cannot be coded to either a substantive Cultural or ethnic group or to one of the 'nfd' codes. These codes allow the collection and storage of data for responses such as African, Asian, and European.

Responses provided in statistical and administrative collections do not always reflect formal names of categories in the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and ethnic Groups (ASCCEG). For example, Sicilian may be a response to a question about ancestry but it does not exactly match the title of the category '3103 Italian'. A coding index is therefore necessary to act as a link between responses and the classification.

The accurate coding of ancestry responses within Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collections is carried out by automated coding systems that link high-frequency responses to their corresponding categories in the ASCCEG via a coding index. These automatic coding systems are based upon the information contained in the ASCCEG coding index.

The ABS has undertaken the first steps on a journey to modernise coding infrastructure, through the release of the Whole of Australian Government Occupation Coding Service. This new service is based on machine learning technology and is currently only available for use in coding occupation data to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), Australian update 2022 and the Occupation for the Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) 2024.

It is anticipated that at some point in the future, a similar, machine learning based service will be available for the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG). If you would like to receive updates on future ASCCEG reviews and developments in coding infrastructure, please email the ABS at standards@abs.gov.au.

The ASCCEG coding index connects more than one thousand high-frequency ancestry responses to each of their corresponding Cultural and ethnic groups within the ASCCEG, enabling responses to be assigned accurately and quickly to the appropriate category of the classification. The index includes:

• formal ancestry titles
• contemporary and traditional titles
• spelling variations and misspellings
• high-frequency responses identified in statistical surveys and in the Census of Population and Housing.

Classification codes for particular responses have been allocated by reference to literature in the field and consultation with academics, government and private organisations with relevant knowledge and expertise; and by analysis of ABS data. In addition to its coding function, the index can be used to clarify the nature, extent and varietal content of each classification category.

The ASCCEG coding index may be requested by contacting: standards@abs.gov.au.

In developing the coding index, a number of rules were followed in assigning index entries the correct classification code. It is recommended that these rules be adhered to when coding any response that does not appear in the coding index provided.

The coding rules are as follows: 

• Responses which match exactly with an entry in the coding index are assigned the code allocated to that index entry.
• Responses which have a partial match with an entry in the coding index and only differ in terms of spelling, use of abbreviations or acronyms, are assigned the code allocated to that index entry.
• Responses which have a partial match with an entry in the coding index and only differ in terms of qualifying or extraneous words are assigned the code allocated to that index entry.
• Responses which cannot be identified as relating to a separately identified Cultural and ethnic group in the classification are assigned a 'residual category code', or a 'supplementary code' which are discussed in the Index for coding responses section.
   

When coding what appear to be multiple responses:

• if all the words appearing in the response are contained in a single index entry, assign the code allocated to that index entry.
• if all the words appearing in a response are not contained in a single index entry, assign a code for each word or phrase representing a cultural or ethnic group that does appear in the index.

The full range of Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG) codes should be used in all stages of statistical production. This includes validating input codes at the editing stage of data processing, aggregating data to higher levels of the classification's structure, and deriving output items. Responses should be allocated to ‘not further defined’ (nfd) or ‘not elsewhere classified’ (nec) codes as a last resort, i.e. when no other (more precise) category is suitable.

The valid range of codes consists of:

• All codes in the main structure of the classification.
• All codes in the 'Supplementary codes' list.

The valid range of codes are shown in Tables 1.3 and 2 of the ASCCEG, accessible from the Data downloads section.

Data should be coded and stored at the most detailed (four-digit) level of the classification. Collecting and storing data at the four-digit level of the classification allows the greatest flexibility for the output of statistical data, enables more detailed and complex analyses, and facilitates comparisons with other data sets.

The hierarchical structure of the ASCCEG allows users the flexibility to present statistics at the level of the classification which suits their purpose(s). Data can be output at Broad group, Narrow group or Cultural and ethnic group levels of the classification.

This release previously used catalogue number 1249.0