2026 Census Privacy Statement

Your privacy is protected by law. This Privacy Statement explains how the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) manages personal information for the 2026 Census of Population and Housing. 

This Privacy Statement works alongside:

• 2026 Census Collection Notice – what we collect and why. This Privacy Statement should be read in conjunction with the 2026 Census Collection Notice.
• ABS Privacy Policy for Statistical Information – outlines in detail how the ABS protects your personal information.

Yes. The Census is conducted under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905, and completing and submitting your Census form is compulsory. 

If you do not complete and submit your form, we will contact you to encourage your participation first. If you still do not respond, you may be served a direction in writing to complete the Census. This is a formal legal instruction to complete the Census.

Failing to comply with a direction is an offence under the Census and Statistics Act 1905, and can result in prosecution and fines. It is an offence to provide false or misleading statements or information in the Census. 

Your participation ensures the Census delivers a complete picture of Australia, helping governments and communities plan for the future.

ABS legislation - Australian Bureau of Statistics Act 1975 and Census and Statistics Act 1905

These laws:

• authorise the ABS to collect information for statistical purposes and obliges it to keep Census information confidential and use it solely for statistical outputs
• protects identifiable information from being disclosed outside the ABS
• impose strict secrecy obligations on all ABS employees.

Privacy legislation

The ABS also complies with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), which set out clear rules for: 

• Collection - limiting the collection of personal information (APP 3)
• Notification - making sure individuals are made aware of what personal information is collected and why (APP 5)
• Use and disclosure - limiting the use and disclosure of personal information (APP 6)
• Security - taking reasonable steps to protect information from misuse, interference or loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure (APP 11.1)
• Access and correction - providing mechanisms for individuals to access and correct their information where appropriate (APP 12 and 13).

For more information visit ABS legislative framework.

Personal information is any information or opinion about an individual who is identified or reasonably identifiable, whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not.

A critical feature of the Census, including the online form, is the high level of security implemented by the ABS to protect personal information. These security measures are independently tested and reviewed to make sure your information remains secure.

Census systems are designed in line with Australian Government information security standards set out in the Australian Government Information Security Manual. These standards are developed by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), the government agency responsible for protecting government systems from cyber threats. The ABS also uses ASD‑recommended strategies to prevent unauthorised access and cyber intrusions.

Your personal information is stored and managed in accordance with Australian Government records management requirements. When the information is no longer needed, it is securely destroyed or deleted in line with the Administrative Functions Disposal Authority and ABS records authorities. Any personal information that must be retained is stored in secure data centres located in Australia.

We apply the Separation Principle, which means that names and addresses collected on Census forms are stored separately from other Census data once processing is complete.

Additional security and assurance measures include encrypting data while it is being transmitted and stored, regular independent security testing and audits, strict access controls, audit logging of system activity, and ongoing employee training. All ABS staff are also subject to lifetime secrecy obligations under law.

The ABS does not share information from your Census form that could identify you or anyone else in your household with other government departments or with direct marketing companies. Census information is not used for compliance or enforcement activities, except in relation to offences under the Census and Statistics Act 1905.

To deliver the Census, the ABS works with trusted service providers. These service providers help with tasks, such as:

• recruiting and paying Census officers
• managing superannuation and injury compensation
• operating the Census Contact Centre
• printing and mailing paper forms
• providing ICT systems and other technical support.

Any service providers involved must follow strict privacy and security requirements under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, and they cannot use your information for any other purpose.

If you work for the ABS to help run the Census, we collect additional personal information so you can be paid and so we can meet employer obligations. This is explained in the 2026 Census Employment Collection Notice. 

We may use your personal information to make communicating with you easier, including providing you with a response to any request you may make. For instance, if you call the Census Contact Centre and provide your email address or phone number, we will only use this information to assist with delivery or completion of your Census form. If you phone the Census Contact Centre and agree to have your phone call recorded for quality purposes, it will only be used to help maintain and provide a high-quality service for future enquiries.

In the 2026 Census, the ABS will use administrative data for:

• improving the ABS Address Register and making the Census more efficient
• coverage and data quality by improving the way ABS fills in gaps in Census data
• expanding the Census to  enhance the quality, useability and timeliness of Census data.

These uses of administrative data help ensure the Census is more accurate, efficient and complete. Administrative data is used only for statistical purposes and never for compliance or enforcement activities.

All administrative data received by the ABS is handled under strict governance and security controls in accordance with the Census and Statistics Act 1905, the Privacy Act 1988, the Australian Privacy Principles and ABS privacy policies, as applicable. 

Privacy considerations, including the use of administrative data for the 2026 Census, have been assessed through a comprehensive three-phase Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) process.

Names and addresses have been collected in every Census since 1911. They are critical for ensuring the quality and value of the Census.

Names are collected in the Census for many reasons, including:

• making it easier for the person completing the form to provide the right information for the household
• processing duplicate forms and ensuring everyone is only counted once
• enabling high quality data linkage for important research projects, such as estimating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life expectancy
• enabling the Post Census Review to assess the quality of Census data. 

Addresses are collected because the Census provides important data about where Australians live and work. We collect addresses to:

• release accurate data for geographic areas, such as states and territories, capital cities, towns, remotes areas and many more
• produce accurate population estimates for regions to help with the distribution of government funds and for electoral purposes
• help understand how and where people travel to work
• enable the development of a higher quality ABS Address Register and improve future Censuses.

We may integrate de-identified Census data with other datasets to create richer insights for research and policy. The linkages are done under strict governance and privacy protections. To find out more about data integration and how we keep your information safe, visit the data integration page.

Examples include:

• Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset (ACLD) – a 5% sample across multiple Censuses
• Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) – combines Census data with health, education and income data under strict governance.

The ABS may share Census information under the Data Availability and Transparency Act 2022 (the DATA Scheme) for a limited range of permitted purposes.

Any sharing of Census information under the DATA Scheme would be subject to legislative safeguards, strict governance arrangements, and the written approval of the Australian Statistician. 

• Census form Names are retained for up to 18 months from Census night.
• Census form Addresses are retained for up to 36 months from Census night.
• After processing, names and addresses are separated from other Census form data and stored securely prior to destruction.
• Other personal information is retained and then destroyed in line with the Archives Act 1983 and ABS records authorities.

As part of the Census, you can choose to have your Census information preserved for 99 years. If you choose this option, your Census information will be securely transferred to the National Archives of Australia and cannot be accessed for any purpose until 2125. Once information is transferred to the National Archives of Australia as part of the Census Time Capsule, it cannot be reversed. 

Administrative data used to support Census processing is not transferred to the National Archives of Australia as part of the Census Time Capsule.

It is not possible to access or change information on a submitted Census form.

You can request access to, or correction of, other personal information collected in connection with the Census operations (e.g. correspondence or contact records) by contacting the ABS Privacy Officer.

Please contact us if you think we may have breached your privacy rights or our privacy responsibilities or if you have any queries about the personal information the ABS holds about you or the way it is handled. 

Our Privacy Officer will answer your enquiries or assist with complaints about our compliance with the APPs.

Contact details

email:    

privacy@abs.gov.au

phone: 

1300 135 070

post:      

ABS Privacy Officer

Australian Bureau of Statistics

Locked Bag 10 

Belconnen ACT 2616