Australian Statistician statement on the 2026 Census

Good morning. I would like to give a brief opening statement on the 2026 Census.

We have received close to 10.5 million Census household forms and are on track to achieve a national response rate of more than 95 per cent.   

This is comparable to recent successful Censuses, including the 2021 Census which was conducted during COVID-19 lockdowns.

This is an exceptional outcome at a time of much discussion about declining trust in government, and when survey response rates are falling across the advanced industrial world. 

While most Australians completed their Census online, being able to use a paper form was important for many people.  

The 2026 Census is on track to exceed our forecast of 85 per cent online completion, continuing the trend towards increased digital participation.  

As in 2021, we encouraged households to complete the Census early if they knew where they were going to be on Census night, 11 August.

More than three-quarters of household forms were completed on or before Census night which enabled us to direct our efforts after Census night to those households and areas that needed additional support to participate.

I am pleased to say participating in the Census was a smooth experience for most Australians. 

The Census online form was available for the entire Census collection window. That is, there was no downtime.

A national communication campaign raised awareness that the Census was coming and explained why it was being conducted. The campaign combined advertising, public relations, media and social media activity to reach people who get their information via either traditional or non-traditional means. The campaign achieved strong recognition and built public awareness of how to participate. 

Despite our best efforts, some households did not receive their Census instructions until after Census night.

We estimate that less than 1 per cent of private dwellings, or around 70,000 dwellings, did not have their Census instructions by 11 August. 

The areas affected were primarily those where Census instructions were delivered by field staff. In some locations, delays and shortfalls in recruiting Census field staff hampered our ability to complete deliveries before Census night.

I acknowledge this was frustrating for the households affected. Our staff worked hard to provide support and assistance, ensuring that everyone, regardless of where they lived, had the opportunity to participate in the Census.

A major benefit of the Census is its ability to collect information from population groups that are often underrepresented in regular surveys. This includes supporting participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, multicultural communities, and people experiencing homelessness.

While it is too early to assess participation outcomes for these groups, I am encouraged by the significant effort invested in reaching every dwelling and community across Australia.

Our focus throughout the Census was to maximise participation and ensure all Australians had the opportunity to be counted, regardless of where they live or their circumstances. Every Answer Matters in the 2026 Census.

Since late July, when the first Census forms were submitted, ABS staff have been processing and quality assuring Census data in preparation for its release next year.

This includes scanning and digitising paper forms, reconciling responses with dwellings to produce accurate counts and family structures, and coding millions of written responses into standard statistical classifications.

The ABS also undertakes extensive quality assurance and validation activities to ensure the data is complete, accurate and ready for publication. Before any data is released, it will undergo a formal clearance process, including review by independent experts.  This work is essential to maintaining the quality and integrity of Census outputs.

The first data release, scheduled for June 2027, will cover most Census topics. Those topics requiring further processing time will be released later, as they have been for previous Censuses. 

I want to conclude by expressing my appreciation to staff, our stakeholder partners, advisory groups, supporting organisations and vendors who came together to deliver this significant undertaking. I also want to offer thanks to the Australian public for their outstanding support.