2008.0 - Census of Population and Housing: Nature and Content, Australia, 2016  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/08/2015   
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AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP

This topic provides information about whether people are Australian citizens or not. Information about Australian citizenship is used to monitor the take-up of Australian citizenship by the overseas-born population.

BACKGROUND

A question on nationality was first asked in 1921, when respondents were asked to indicate what 'national subject' they were by means of birthplace, parentage or naturalisation. In 1966 and 1971 the term ‘nationality or citizenship’ was used, and from 1976 onwards the question has used the word ‘citizenship’. Since 1986, the question on citizenship has had only two response categories (Australian citizen or not).

It was proposed that the question on Australian citizenship be excluded from the 2006 Census and included again in the 2011 Census. After consultation with key users of the data, a decision was made to retain the question for the 2006 Census. The question was included in the 2006 and 2011 Censuses and will again be asked in the 2016 Census.

QUESTION

The following question is from the paper 2016 Census Household Paper Form.

Image: question11 from the paper 2016 Census Household Form.