Forward Work Program

Latest release

ABS Corporate Plan

Reference period

2025-26

Released

29/08/2025

Next release Unknown

The Forward Work Program outlines the schedule of statistical releases over the next 4 years. It is developed through extensive consultation with government entities, key stakeholders, including users of statistics, other government organisations and a diverse range of non-government organisations such as community groups and industry bodies.

We review and make changes to the Forward Work Program to ensure it continues to appropriately measure the Australian economy, environment and society.

Statistical releases are classified into 3 tiers to help with prioritising resources.

Tier 1	Statistics representing the foundation work of a national statistical organisation.
Tier 2	Important areas of statistics where there is a significant government outlay or where there is a significant public policy interest.
Tier 3	Other important statistical work currently undertaken to meet identified user requirements.

Economy

Business indicators
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Business Indicators, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly and yearly
Monthly Business Turnover Indicator	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly
Private New Capital Expenditure and Expected Expenditure, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Finance
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Assets and Liabilities of Australian Securitisers	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Summary of results	T1				✔	Irregular
Household Income and Wealth, Australia[1] Survey: Survey of Income and Housing	T1			✔		Two-yearly
Lending Indicators	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Monthly Household Spending Indicator[2]	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly

Government
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Government Finance Statistics:
Annual	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Taxation Revenue, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

International trade
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Balance of Payments and International Investment Position, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Foreign Currency Exposure, Australia	T2		✔			Four-yearly
International Investment Position, Australia: Supplementary Statistics	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
International Trade:
in Goods	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly
International Trade Price Indexes, Australia See Price indexes and inflation sub-section below
Supplementary Information, Calendar Year	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Supplementary Information, Financial Year	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

National accounts
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Australian Defence Industry Account, experimental estimates	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Australian National Accounts:
Finance and Wealth	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Input-Output Tables	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
National Income, Expenditure and Product	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
State Accounts	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Supply Use Tables	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Australian System of National Accounts	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Modellers’ Database	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Tourism Satellite Account:
Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Quarterly tourism labour statistics, Australia, experimental estimates	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Price indexes and inflation
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Consumer Price Index:
Australia[3]	T1	✔				Quarterly
Australia[4]	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly
Monthly Indicator	T1	✔				Monthly
International Trade Price Indexes, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Producer Price Indexes, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Selected Living Cost Indexes, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Total Value of Dwellings	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Wage Price Index, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Labour

Earnings and working conditions
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Average Weekly Earnings, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Six-monthly
Characteristics of Employment, Australia Employee earnings Labour hire workers Trade union membership Working arrangements	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia	T1	✔		✔		Two-yearly
Industrial Disputes, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Monthly Employee Earnings Indicator	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Personal Income in Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Work-Related Injuries[5]	T3		✔			Four-yearly

Employment and unemployment
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Barriers and Incentives to Labour Force Participation, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly and yearly
Labour Force:
Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly and quarterly
Australia, Detailed	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly and quarterly
Microdata: Longitudinal, Australia[6]	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly
Status of Families	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia Job mobility Potential workers Underemployed workers	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Public Sector Employment and Earnings	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Retirement and Retirement Intentions, Australia	T2		✔		✔	Two-yearly

Labour accounts
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Labour Account, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Jobs
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Job Vacancies, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Jobs in Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Multiple job-holders	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Payroll Jobs[7]	T2	✔				Quarterly

Industry

Agriculture
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Australian Agriculture:
Broadacre Crops	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Horticulture	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Livestock	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Livestock Products, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Building and construction
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Building Activity, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Building Approvals, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly
Construction Work Done, Australia, Preliminary	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Engineering Construction Activity, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Energy
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Energy Account, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Industry overview
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Australian Industry	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Estimates of Industry Level KLEMS Multifactor Productivity	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Estimates of Industry Multifactor Productivity	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Mining
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Retail and wholesale trade
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Retail Trade, Australia[8]	T1	✔				Monthly

Technology and innovation
Release	Tier	2025–26	2027–28	Release frequency
Characteristics of Australian Business	T2	✔	✔	Two-yearly
Research and Experimental Development:
Businesses, Australia	T2	✔	✔	Two-yearly
Higher Education Organisations, Australia	T2	✔	✔	Two-yearly
Government and Private Non-Profit Organisations, Australia	T2	✔	✔	Two-yearly

Tourism and transport
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly

People

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Release	Tier	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Life Expectancy	T2		✔	Five-yearly
Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population[9]	T2			Five-yearly
Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians[10]	T2	✔	✔	Five-yearly
Housing Statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	T2	✔		Five-yearly

Crime and justice
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Corrective services, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Crime victimisation, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Criminal courts, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Federal Defendants, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Legal Assistance Services[11]	T3	✔				Yearly
Personal Fraud	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Personal Safety, Australia[12]	T3		✔			Four-yearly
Prisoners in Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Recorded Crime – Offenders	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Recorded Crime - Victims	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Education
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Education and Work, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Preschool Education	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Qualifications and Work	T3			✔		Four-yearly
Schools	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Work-Related Training and Adult Learning Survey, Australia	T3	✔				Four-yearly

Housing
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Estimating Homelessness: Census	T1			✔		Five-yearly
Housing Occupancy and Costs[13] Survey: Survey of Income and Housing	T1			✔		Two-yearly

People and communities
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Cultural and creative activities	T3		✔			Four-yearly
Gender Indicators	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
General Social Survey: Summary Results, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
How Australians Use Their Time Survey: Time Use Survey	T1	✔		✔		Two-yearly
Marriages and Divorces	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Migrant Settlement Outcomes	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Participation in Selected Cultural Activities	T3		✔			Irregular
Permanent migrants in Australia	T2			✔		Five-yearly
Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia	T2				✔	Five-yearly
Temporary Visa Holders in Australia	T2			✔		Five-yearly

Population
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
2021 Census overcount and undercount[14]	T1		✔			Five-yearly
Australia’s Population by Country of Birth	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Births, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Deaths, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Historical Population[15]	T3					Five-yearly
Household and Family Projections, Australia	T3				✔	Five-yearly
Life Expectancy	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Overseas Migration	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Census of Population and Housing [16]	T1		✔	✔		Five-yearly
Population Projections, Australia	T2				✔	Five-yearly
National, State and Territory Population[17]	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Regional Population	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Regional Population by age and sex	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Health

Causes of death
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Causes of Death, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Provisional Mortality Statistics	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Two-monthly

Disability
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Disability, Ageing and Carers	T2				✔	Six-yearly

Health conditions and risks
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Apparent Consumption of Selected Foodstuffs, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study:
National Nutrition and Physical Activity	T1	✔				Irregular
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity	T1	✔				Irregular
National Health Survey[18]	T2				✔	Three-yearly

Health services
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Patient Experiences	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Environment

Environmental management
Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
National Ecosystem Accounts, experimental estimates	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
National Land Account, experimental estimates	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Water Account, Australia, experimental estimates	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Wellbeing

Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	Release frequency
Measuring What Matters	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Data Assets

The ABS builds and maintains integrated data assets for research in the public interest. Data integration involves combining de-identified data from two or more sources at the unit level (person, business, location) in a secure environment. Approved users can gain access to these assets through DataLab and Tablebuilder.

Release	Tier	2025–26	2026–27	2027–28	Release frequency[19]
Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset (ACLD)	T2			✔	Five-yearly
Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset[20] (ACMID)	T2			✔	Five-yearly
Australian Census Temporary Entrants Integrated Dataset[21] (ACTEID)	T3			✔	Five-yearly
Business Longitudinal Analytical Data Environment (BLADE)	T1				Continuously
Linked Employer-Employee Database (LEED)[22]	T1	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
National Disability Data Asset (NDDA)	T1				Continuously
Person-Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA)	T1				Continuously

Footnotes

Show all

Statistics from the 2023–24 Survey of Income and Housing will not be released in 2025–26 due to data collection issues.
The Monthly Household Spending Indicator was upgraded from a tier 2 to a tier 1 release following the cessation of the Retail Trade survey in 2025–26.
The final standalone Quarterly CPI will be published on 29th October 2025 for the September quarter 2025 reference period.
From 26th November 2025, the ABS will publish a complete Monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI). Quarterly CPI data tables will be included in every third month of the complete Monthly CPI release. Further information can be found at: https://consult.abs.gov.au/data-integration-operations/monthly-cpi-design-consultation/results/designofthecompletemonthlycpi.pdf.
Work-Related Injuries was scheduled for release in 2025–26 in the ABS Corporate Plan 2024–25. The year of release has been revised to 2026–27 in this Corporate Plan.
The Longitudinal Labour Force, Australia is released into the ABS DataLab.
The Payroll Jobs release will cease in 2025–26. Key indicators will be included in the updated Monthly Employee Earnings Indicator in the first half of 2026.
The last Retail Trade survey will be for June 2025, to be released in July 2025.
Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population will be released after the period covered by this Plan.
The preliminary 2026 Census-based estimates will be available in the Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians release in 2027–28. The 2026 Census-based projections will be released in 2028–29.
Legal Assistance Services releases beyond 2025–26 have not been confirmed at the time of publication of this Plan.
Personal Safety, Australia, initially scheduled for release in 2025–26 in the ABS Corporate Plan 2024–25, has been revised to 2026–27 in this Plan.
Statistics from the 2023–24 Survey of Income and Housing will not be released in 2025–26 due to data collection issues.
The 2021 Census overcount and undercount is known to respondents as the Post Census Review.
Historical Population will be released after the period covered by the Plan.
The 2026 Census of Population and Housing data will be released in a staged approach by topic across 2026–27 and 2027–28. Topics include income and work, transport, health, disability and carers, location and many more.
The National, State and Territory Population release was listed in the ABS Corporate Plan 2024–25 as Quarterly Estimated Resident Population by State/Territory.
The National Health Survey release, initially scheduled in the ABS Corporate Plan 2024–25 for publication in 2027–28, has been revised to 2028–29 in this Plan.
Indicates when data is updated within the asset.
Released as Permanent Migrants in Australia.
Released as Temporary Visa Holders in Australia.
Released as Jobs in Australia, Personal Income in Australia and available as microdata through Tablebuilder: Jobs and Income of Employed Persons. Not available in DataLab.

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