MAJOR CHANGES TO THE 2016 CENSUS
1 The 2016 Census introduced significant changes to the way the Census was conducted, moving to a ‘Digital First’ approach. The new approach changed the way Census materials were delivered and information returned by the public.
2 In most areas of Australia, households were mailed information in advance, which included a unique login number and instructions on how to complete the Census online. People in these households were able to request paper forms if they did not wish to complete the Census online. In other areas, where a greater need for paper forms was anticipated, these were delivered together with a prepaid mail-back envelope as the first contact, together with a login number and instructions on how to complete the form online if they wished.
3 This change from the traditional drop off and pick up of paper forms by Census Field Officers for the majority of Australia was the most significant change in collection methodology since the first Australian Census in 1911. Central to the new approach was the development of the ABS Address Register as a frame for this large scale mail-out of Census materials.
4 As with previous Censuses, a range of targeted enumeration strategies were developed to optimise accessibility and inclusion for population groups at risk of being missed, or where there were known social, cultural and/or physical barriers.
5 For further information on the 2016 Census content, collection operations, the ABS Address Register, confidentiality and privacy, and processing, see the ABS publication Census of Population and Housing: Nature of Content, Australia, 2016 (cat. no. 2008.0), released on 20 August 2015.
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