Forward work program

Latest release

ABS Corporate Plan

Reference period

2026-27

Released

31/08/2026

Next release Unknown

The Forward Work Program (FWP) outlines the schedule of statistical releases over the next four years. It is developed through consultation with Australian Government and state and territory governments, key users of statistics and a diverse range of non-government organisations such as community groups and industry bodies.

We review and make changes to the FWP to respond to new priorities and 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	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Business Indicators, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Private New Capital Expenditure and Expected Expenditure, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Finance
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Assets and Liabilities of Australian Securitisers	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Household Income and Wealth, Australia[1] Survey: Survey of Income and Housing	T1	✔		✔		Two-yearly
Lending Indicators	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Monthly Household Spending Indicator	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly

Government
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Government Finance Statistics:
Annual	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Taxation Revenue, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	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	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Australian Defence Industry Account, experimental estimates	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Australian National Accounts:
Finance and Wealth	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Input-Output Tables[2]	T1	✔		✔		Two-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	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Consumer Price Index, Australia	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	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Average Weekly Earnings, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Six-monthly
Labour hire workers	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia	T1		✔		✔	Two-yearly
Industrial Disputes, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Personal Income in Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Work-Related Injuries	T3	✔				Four-yearly

Employment and unemployment
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Labour Force:
Australia[3]	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly
Microdata: Longitudinal, Australia[4]	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly
Status of Families[5]	T2		✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Labour Force Supplementary Program[6] Job mobility Potential workers Underemployed workers Barriers and incentives to labour force participation Employee earnings Trade union membership Working arrangements	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Public Sector Employment and Earnings	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Retirement and Retirement Intentions, Australia[7]	T2			✔		Three-yearly

Labour accounts
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Labour Account, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Jobs
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Job Vacancies, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Jobs in Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Multiple job-holders	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Industry

Agriculture
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Australian Agriculture:
Broadacre Crops	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Horticulture	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Livestock	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Livestock Products, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Building and construction
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	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	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Energy Account, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Industry overview
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	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	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Technology and innovation
Release	Tier	2027–28	2029–30	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	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Monthly

People

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Release	Tier	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Life Expectancy	T2		✔		Five-yearly
Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population	T2			✔	Five-yearly
Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians[8]	T2	✔	✔		Five-yearly
Housing Statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	T2	✔			Five-yearly

Crime and justice
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Corrective services, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Crime victimisation	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Criminal courts, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Federal Defendants, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Legal Assistance	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Personal Fraud	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Personal Safety, Australia	T3	✔				Four-yearly
Prisoners in Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Recorded Crime – Offenders	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Recorded Crime – Victims	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Education
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Preschool Education	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Preschool Attendance	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Schools	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Housing
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Estimating Homelessness: Census	T1		✔			Five-yearly
Housing Occupancy and Costs Survey: Survey of Income and Housing	T1		✔		✔	Two-yearly

People and communities
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	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[9] Survey: Time Use Survey	T1				✔	Five-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[10]	T2		✔			Five-yearly
Temporary Visa Holders in Australia	T2		✔			Five-yearly

Population
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
2026 Census overcount and undercount[11]	T1	✔				Five-yearly
Australia’s Population by Country of Birth	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Births, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Deaths, Australia	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Historical Population	T3				✔	Five-yearly
Household and Family Projections, Australia	T3			✔		Five-yearly
Life Expectancy	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Overseas Migration	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Census of Population and Housing [12]	T1	✔	✔			Five-yearly
Population Projections, Australia	T2			✔		Five-yearly
National, State and Territory Population	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly
Regional Population	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Regional Population by age and sex	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Health

Causes of death
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Causes of Death, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Provisional Mortality Statistics[13]	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Quarterly

Disability
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Disability, Ageing and Carers	T2			✔		Six-yearly

Health conditions and risks
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
National Health Survey	T2			✔		Three-yearly

Food and nutrition
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Apparent Consumption of Selected Foodstuffs, Australia	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Health services
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
Patient Experiences	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Environment

Environmental accounts
Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency
National Ecosystem Accounts, experimental estimates	T3	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
National Land Account, experimental estimates	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Water Account, Australia	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Wellbeing

Release	Tier	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	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	2026–27	2027–28	2028–29	2029–30	Release frequency[14]
Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset[15] (ACLD)	T2			✔		Five-yearly
Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset[16] (ACMID)	T2		✔			Five-yearly
Australian Census Temporary Entrants Integrated Dataset[17] (ACTEID)	T2		✔			Five-yearly
Business Longitudinal Analytical Data Environment[18] (BLADE)	T1					Continuously
Criminal Justice Data Asset (CJDA)	T2		✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Life Course Data Initiative (LCDI)	T1	✔				Irregular
Linked Employer-Employee Database[19] (LEED)	T1	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly
Location Data Geographics Engine[20] (LODGE)	T1					Continuously
Longitudinally Linked Employer-Employee Database[21] (L-LEED)	T1					Continuously
National Veterans’ Data Asset (NVDA)	T1			✔	✔	Quarterly
Person-Level Integrated Data Asset[22] (PLIDA)	T1					Continuously
Vocational Education and Training National Data Asset (VNDA)	T2	✔	✔	✔	✔	Yearly

Footnotes

Show all

Household Income and Wealth, Australia, initially scheduled for release in 2027–28 in the ABS Corporate Plan 2025–26, has been revised to 2026–27 in this Plan.
The Australian National Accounts: Input-Output Tables will move from a yearly to a two-yearly publication following the 2026–27 release.
Labour Force, Australia has moved from a monthly and quarterly to a monthly only release. Additional detailed labour information (e.g. industry, occupation and retrenchments) previously collected on a quarterly basis, will now be collected monthly as part of modernising the Labour Force Survey.
The Longitudinal Labour Force, Australia is released into the ABS DataLab.
Labour Force Status of Families will not be released in 2026–27 due to the Monthly Population Survey modernisation program.
Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia, Characteristics of Employment, Australia, and Barriers and Incentives to Labour Force Participation have been combined in the Labour Force Supplementary Program, as part of modernising the Labour Force Survey.
Retirement and Retirement Intentions, Australia has moved from a two-yearly to three-yearly release.
The preliminary 2026 Census-based estimates will be available in the Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians release in 2027–28. The final 2026 Census-based projections will be released in 2028–29.
How Australians Use Their Time has moved from a two-yearly to a five-yearly release.
Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), Australia, initially scheduled for release in 2028–29 in the ABS Corporate Plan 2025–26, has been revised to 2027–28 in this Plan.
The 2026 Census overcount and undercount is known to respondents as the Post Census Review.
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.
Provisional Mortality Statistics has moved from a two-monthly to a quarterly release.
Indicates when data is updated within the asset.
ACLD initially scheduled for release in 2027–28 in the ABS Corporate Plan 2025–26, has been revised to 2028–29 in this Plan.
Released as Permanent Migrants in Australia.
Released as Temporary Visa Holders in Australia. ACTEID has been upgraded from T3 to T2 to align with the Temporary Visa Holders in Australia release rating.
Released into ABS DataLab and available as microdata through Tablebuilder: Businesses 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.
Released into ABS DataLab.
Released into ABS DataLab.
Released into ABS DataLab and available as microdata through Tablebuilder: People in Australia. The Disability Reform Ministerial Council (DRMC) has agreed to a changed delivery model for the National Disability Data Asset (NDDA). The Person-Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) and National Health Data Hub (NHDH) will be used to deliver disability insights.

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