This variable is the sum of Total personal income (administrative data) (weekly) (INCAP) of each family member aged 15 years or older who was present in the household on Census night. This includes families where one or more family members did not have income information available in administrative data or was absent from the dwelling on Census Night.  

This variable wasn’t derived from data collected on the Census form but has been created by linking administrative data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to the Census. 

Families in family households

This variable wasn’t derived from data collected on the Census form but has been created by linking administrative data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) data asset to the Census. The PLIDA data asset contains administrative income data from the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Social Services, this is the source data for this variable.   

This variable is calculated by summing the personal incomes recorded in administrative data for all family members aged 15 years and over.  

The income ranges for this variable include families where one or more members aged 15 years and over was not able to be linked to PLIDA, and therefore did not have income information available in administrative data; or was absent from the dwelling on Census Night. In the variable Total family income (administrative data) (weekly) (FINAF), these families were excluded from the family income calculation and coded to the category 'Partial incomes available'. 

Families where no family member aged 15 and over was able to be linked to PLIDA, and therefore did not have administrative income information available are set to 'Admin not available'. 

This is a new variable for 2021.

This variable provides an alternative, more detailed view on income to the Census income data collected via the Census form. It is based on income information recorded in linked administrative data, and not data collected from a Census question.  

Comparison to Census income data 

Although this variable provides an alternative, more detailed view on income to the income data collected via the Census form, there are differences to consider. 

Method to calculate family income 

The personal incomes used to create this variable were recorded to the nearest dollar. The Census question, on the other hand, collects personal income in ranges, then a median-based approximation is used to calculate family income. 

Unlike data collected via the Census form, this variable does not rely on people correctly recalling the income that they, and other household members, usually earn.  

Comparisons to other family data 

This variable should be used with caution when comparing to other family data from within the ABS and for external organisations or agencies. The definition of a family can differ between different statistical collections and may not match Census definitions. 

• Total family income as stated (weekly) (FINASF)
• Total personal income (administrative data) (weekly) (INCAP) 
• Total family income (administrative data) (weekly) (FINAF) 
• Main source of family income (administrative data) (FSAF) 
• Main type of family government benefit payment (administrative data) (FGAF) 
• Total household income as available (administrative data) (weekly) (HIAASD) 
• Administrative data
• Family 
• Government benefits, pensions and allowances 

• Understanding income in administrative data, the Census and ABS surveys
• New Census insights on income in Australia using administrative data
• Earnings and work hours
• People and communities

This variable indicates whether a person participated in the Community Development Program (CDP). 

In the Census, the question on whether the person participated in the CDP is only included on the Interviewer household form. Interviewer household forms are designed specifically for use in discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The CDP is a government initiative that aims to improve the economic and social well-being of remote communities. It assists job seekers in remote areas to gain skills, training, and capabilities to find:

• sustainable employment
• contribute to their communities through a range of flexible activities

CDP participants receive income support payments and are not considered to be in an employer/employee relationship with their provider. People who are only participating in this program are not considered to be employed unless they also have a non-CDP job. CDP participants who are not employed are classified as either unemployed or not in the labour force, depending on their job search activities.

A similar program, Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) was present in 2011, which was then reformed into the Remote Jobs and Communities Program (RJCP). From 1 July 2015, RJCP was replaced by the CDP.

All persons aged 15 years and over who responded on an Interviewer household form

Community Development Program (CDP) participation is derived from mark boxes to indicate the responses to this question on the Interviewer household form.

It is a multi-mark question, and the following multi-mark rules apply:

• If a respondent answered they had a CDP job as well as a non-CDP job, the non-CDP job has precedence over the CDP job and they are classified as 'Not a participant in the Community Development Program' (note that this does not relate to CDP participation rules).
• If there is not enough information to determine whether the respondent was a CDP participant or not, they are classified as 'Not stated'. For example, if 'No, did not have a job' was the only response marked.
• The derivation rules for classifying an applicable person (15 years and over who responded using Interviewer household form) are summarised in the table below.

This variable was first introduced in 2016. It replaced the following programs:

• 2015 – Remote Jobs and Communities Program (RJCP)
• 2011 – Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP)

No changes have been made for 2021.          

Care should be taken in the use of this variable. The Community Development Program (CDP) involves a broader range of activities than would be captured from the question on the Interviewer household form. The question asked is aimed at identifying participation in a CDP job rather than measuring all CDP participation. This is for the purpose of deriving Labour force status (LFSP).

Participation in the CDP is only captured on the Interviewer household form and not across all form types used in the Census. People counted on forms other than the Interviewer household form will not have the option to indicate if they participated in the CDP.

If comparing 2016 Community Development Program participation (CDPP) data with 2011 Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) data, users should be aware that these are two different programs even though to some extent they cover the same applicable population. Payment arrangements for participants changed, which changed the nature of their labour force status.

• In 2011, people who participated in CDEP received wages from their community. They were considered as having an employer/employee relationship and were classified as employed in the 2011 Census.
• In 2016 and 2021, people who participated in CDP received income support payments directly from the government and were not considered to be in an employer/employee relationship with their provider. They were classified as not employed unless they had a non-CDP job.

This difference in the classification of people participating in these different programs since 2011 may contribute to changes in comparisons over time of labour force (employment and unemployment) numbers in discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

As part of the 2021-22 Budget, the Australian government announced a new remote jobs program commencing in 2023 which will replace the CDP. Pilot programs will begin by the end of 2021. Since May 2021, job seekers are able to participate in some CDP activities on a voluntary basis but will continue to have compulsory requirements like attending appointments with service providers or looking for work.

This variable does not have a non-response rate as it is created during Census processing by using responses from more than one question on the Census form.

• Labour force status (LFSP)
• Interviewer Household Form

• Labour
• Earnings and work hours
• Employment and unemployment
• Income and work: Census

This variable records the number of employees (in ranges) employed by owner managers (excluding the owner managers themselves).

Persons aged 15 years and over, who are owner managers of incorporated or unincorporated enterprises

This variable is created based on the response to the question of whether the respondent’s business employs people. In cases where more than one response is marked, the responses are accepted in the order they appear on the form and the extra responses are deleted.

The question relating to number of employees was first asked in the 2006 Census and has been asked in each Census since then.

For the 2016 Census a change was made to the question to indicate that the owner should exclude themselves from the count of people they employ. Also, in 2016, the number of employees question was asked for the first time on the Interviewer Household Form. This form type is primarily used in discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

No changes have been made for 2021.

The number of employees employed in a business is used to help understand:

• Whether the business employs people who are not owners.
• The nature of self-employment (whether working on own account, or as an employer).
• The characteristics of small business owners.

Unlike most Census variables, the non-response rate for Number of employees (EMPP) is not affected by persons who did not return a Census form because this variable is only applicable to persons with a Status of Employment as owner/managers of incorporated and unincorporated enterprises. Persons who did not respond, and are imputed, have a Status of Employment of 'not stated' and fall into the 'not applicable' category for Number of employees. For more information, see Census Methodology. 

The non-response rate for Number of employees (EMPP) was 0.4% in 2021. This is a decrease from 1.2% in 2016.

• Public/private sector (GNGP)
• Industry of employment (INDP)
• Employee
• Interviewer Household Form

• Earnings and work hours
• Employment and unemployment
• Income and work: Census

This variable identifies families where one or more family members were temporarily absent, did not state their income or stated a negative income. It can be used to estimate the impact on total family income caused by negative or no income or where people were absent from the household on Census Night.

Families in family households

Data for this variable is collected from the Relationship in household and Income questions on the Census form. It also uses the questions asked of people who were away from the household on Census Night.

This variable is derived from the Family composition (FMCF) and Total personal income (INCP) variables. It also uses the Count of persons/dependent children temporarily absent from family variables (CPAF and CDCAF) to isolate families with members aged 15 and over temporarily absent on Census Night.

This variable was first introduced in 1991.

No changes have been made for 2021.

This variable can be used in conjunction with Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) to create a new family income variable.

Usual residents may not be included in the household’s Census form because they were away from the dwelling on Census Night. In this case they should be included in the section of the form for people who were away on Census Night. This can occur in both family and group households. Due to form limitations a maximum of three people can be reported and coded as temporarily absent from the dwelling. If more than three people are absent from the household, the additional people are unable to be included on the form.

Family income derivation indicator (FIDF) should be used with caution when comparing to other family data from within the ABS and for external organisations or agencies. The definition of a family can differ between different statistical collections and may not match Census definitions.

This variable does not have a non-response rate as it is created during Census processing by using responses from more than one question on the Census form.

• Total family income (weekly) (FINF)
• Total personal income (weekly) (INCP)
• Family composition (FMCF)
• Count of persons temporarily absent from family (CPAF)
• Count of dependent children under 15 in family temporarily absent (CDCAF)
• Temporarily absent

• Earnings and work hours
• People and communities
• Income and work: Census

This variable indicates the main source of income that a family received. This is based on all income recorded in administrative data for the 2020/2021 financial year of family members aged 15 years or older who were present in the household on Census Night. 

This variable wasn’t derived from data collected on the Census form but has been created by linking administrative data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to the Census. 

Families in family households

This variable wasn’t derived from data collected on the Census form but has been created by linking administrative data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to the Census. The PLIDA data asset contains administrative income data from the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Social Services, this is the source data for this variable.   

This variable is calculated based on all income recorded in administrative data for the 2020/2021 financial year of family members aged 15 years or older who were present in the household on Census night (see FIAASF). This includes families where one or more members did not have income information available in administrative data, or where one or more members were absent from the dwelling on Census Night. 

The main source of income is the category with the largest total income recorded between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2021. This variable does not record the dollar amount of income earned; it records what the main source of income is.  

For example, a family may have earned substantial income from a salary and received a small amount of additional income from investments. This variable only records the main source of their income, in this case a salary.  

In the case of a family receiving the same amount of income from two or more sources, the main source of income was selected by choosing the income type which was higher in the following ranked list: 

1. Employee wages and salary 
2. Government benefits and allowances 
3. Own unincorporated business income 
4. Superannuation income 
5. Investment income 
6. Other income 

This is a new variable for 2021.

This variable provides an alternative, more detailed view on income than income data collected in the Census. It is based on income information recorded in linked administrative data, and not data collected from a Census question. 

Superannuation income in administrative data 

The administrative data used to derive this variable had limited coverage of income from superannuation, because many superannuation payments are not required to be reported annually to the Australian Taxation Office.  

This means that we have under-recorded the amount of income families received from superannuation. In these cases the main source of family income would either be set to another income type (where the family also received income from another source) or income for this family would be incorrectly set to Nil.  

This has resulted in a known undercount of the number of families with superannuation as their main source of family income, and an overcount of the number of families with other income types as their main source of family income.   

Comparisons to other family data 

This variable should be used with caution when comparing to other family data from within the ABS and for external organisations or agencies. The definition of a family can differ between different statistical collections and may not match Census definitions. 

• Main source of personal income (administrative data) (ISAP)
• Total family income as available (administrative data) (weekly) (FIAASF)
• Main type of family government benefit payment (administrative data) (FGAF)
• Main source of household income (administrative data) (HSAD)
• Administrative data
• Government benefits, pensions and allowances
• Family

• Understanding income in administrative data, the Census and ABS surveys
• New Census insights on income in Australia using administrative data
• Earnings and work hours
• People and communities

This variable records the total family income by summing the Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) of each family member aged 15 years and over present in the household on Census Night.

This includes families where one or more family member's income details were not stated or they were away from the dwelling on Census Night.  

Families in family households

Data for this variable is collected from the Relationship in household and Income questions on the Census form. Data can also be collected from the questions asked of people who were away from the household on Census Night.

Total family income as stated (weekly) (FINASF) is calculated by summing the personal incomes reported by all family members aged 15 years and over present in the household on Census Night who state their income. The Census collects personal income in ranges, so before these can be summed, a specific dollar amount needs to be allocated to each person. Median incomes for each range, derived using data from the Survey of Income and Housing are used for this purpose.

Where no family member aged 15 years and over has stated their income, the household is classified as 'All incomes not stated'.

This variable was first introduced in 2006. For the 2016 Census, categories for family income in dollar ranges were revised.

No changes have been made to the family income categories for 2021.

Usual residents may not be included in the household’s Census form because they were away from the dwelling on Census Night. In this case they should be included in the section of the form for people who were away on Census Night. This can occur in both family and group households. Due to form limitations a maximum of three people can be reported and coded as temporarily absent from the dwelling. If more than three people are absent from the household the additional people are unable to be included on the form.

Total family income as stated (weekly) (FINASF) can be used in conjunction with Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) to create a new family income variable.

Total family income as stated (weekly) (FINASF) should be used with caution when comparing to other family data from within the ABS and for external organisations or agencies. The definition of a family can differ between different statistical collections and may not match Census definitions.

Increases to counts in the higher family income ranges can be partly attributed to the addition of a higher income range to the personal income question. For more details, see Total personal income (weekly) (INCP).

Total family income as stated (weekly) (FINASF) does not have a non-response rate is it created during Census processing using responses from the Relationship in household, Income and persons temporarily absent questions on the Census form.

• Family income derivation indicator (FIDF)
• Total family income (weekly) (FINF)
• Total personal income (weekly) (INCP)

• Earnings and work hours
• People and communities
• Income and work: Census

This variable records the total family income by summing the Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) of each family member aged 15 years and over present in the household on Census Night. This excludes families where one or more family members aged 15 years and over did not state their income or was absent from the dwelling on Census Night. These families are coded to the 'Partial income stated' and total family incomes are not calculated.

Families in family households

Data for this variable is collected from the Relationship in household and Income questions on the Census form. Data can also be collected from the questions asked of people who were away from the household on Census Night.

Total family income (weekly) is calculated by summing the personal incomes reported by all family members aged 15 years and over. As personal income is collected in ranges, median values are assigned to each range using data from the Survey of Income and Housing.

Families where all or at least one family member aged 15 and over did not state an income are set to either:

• 'All incomes not stated'
• 'Partial income stated'

Families where at least one member aged 15 and over was absent from the dwelling on Census Night are also set to 'Partial incomes stated'. 

This variable was first introduced in 1976 as Family income (annual) (FINP). The name and mnemonics used, and methods used to calculate family income have changed several times over the years. For the 2016 Census, categories for family income in dollar ranges were revised.

No changes have been made to the family income categories for 2021.

If there is a need to recalculate this variable under different circumstances users can use the derived variable Family income derivation indicator (FIDF) in conjunction with Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) to create a new family income variable.

Total family income (weekly) should be used carefully when comparing to other family data from within the ABS and for external organisations or agencies. The definition of a family can differ between different statistical collections and may not match Census definitions.

Increases to counts in the higher family income ranges can be partly attributed to the addition of a higher income range to the personal income question. For more details, see Total personal income (weekly) (INCP).

Total family income (weekly) (FINF) does not have a non-response rate as it is created during Census processing using responses from the Relationship in household, Income and persons temporarily absent questions on the Census form.

• Family income derivation indicator (FIDF)
• Total family income as stated (weekly) (FINASF)
• Total personal income (weekly) (INCP)
• Median income

• Earnings and work hours
• People and communities
• Income and work: Census

This variable classifies employed people according to whether they are employed in the government (public) or non-government (private) sector. The public sector is further broken down into National, State and Territory or Local Government.

Employed persons 15 years of age and over

Data for this variable is captured automatically from written responses to Labour Force questions on the Census form. The employer's business name and the workplace address of the employed person is used to classify employed persons into the public or private sector. If the person's employment cannot be determined as public sector, responses are coded to private sector as the default code. If the person's employment in the public sector cannot be further broken down into National, State and Territory or Local Government, responses are imputed on a proportional basis to National, State and Territory or Local Government.

Questions on what industry people are employed in has been asked in all Censuses since 1911. A separate variable to classify the sector as public or private was first provided for the 1971 Census.

Over time, the name of this variable has changed, but the meaning and the purpose of the question has remained the same:

• 1971: Industry Sector (GOVT)
• 1976-2006: Industry Sector (GNGP) - noting that in 1996-2001 a category for Community Development Employment Program was included
• 2011-2021: Public/Private Employer Indicator (GNGP)

No changes have been made for 2021.

There are no data use considerations for this variable.

This variable does not have a non-response rate as it is created during Census processing by using responses from more than one question on the Census form.

• Industry of Employment (INDP)
• Labour Force Status (LFSP)
• Occupation (OCCP)
• Place of Work (POWP)
• Employed

• Labour
• Standard Economic Sector Classifications of Australia (SESCA) 
• Income and work: Census

This variable is the sum of Total personal income (administrative data) (weekly) (INCAP) of each resident aged 15 years or older who was present in the household on Census Night. This includes households where one or more residents did not have income information available in administrative data or was absent from the dwelling on Census Night. 

This variable wasn’t derived from data collected on the Census form but has been created by linking administrative data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to the Census. 

Occupied private dwellings

This variable wasn’t derived from data collected on the Census form but has been created by linking administrative data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to the Census. The PLIDA data asset contains administrative income data from the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Social Services, this is the source data for this variable.   

This variable is calculated by summing the personal incomes recorded in administrative data of all household members aged 15 years and over. 

The income ranges for this variable include households where one or more members aged 15 years and over was not able to be linked to PLIDA, and therefore did not have income information available in administrative data; or were temporarily absent. In the variable Total household income (administrative data) (weekly) (HINAD), these households were excluded from the household income calculation and coded to the category 'Partial incomes available'. 

Where no member of a household aged 15 years and over had administrative income information available, the household is classified as 'Admin not available'. 

In most cases, the income of visitors to a household is excluded from Total household income as stated. The exception to this is households that comprise only visitors. 

This is a new variable for 2021.

This variable provides an alternative, more detailed view on income to the Census income data collected via the Census form. It is based on income information recorded in linked administrative data, and not data collected from a Census question.  

Comparison to Census income data 

Although this variable provides an alternative, more detailed view on income to the  income data collected via the Census form, there are differences to consider. 

Method to calculate household income 

The personal incomes used to create this variable were recorded to the nearest dollar. The Census question, on the other hand, collects personal income in ranges, then a median-based approximation is used to calculate household income. 

Unlike data collected via the Census form, this variable does not rely on people correctly recalling the income that they, and other household members, usually earn.  

Comparison to other ABS Surveys 

Although other ABS surveys, such as the Survey of Income and Housing and Personal Income in Australia, collect similar data relating to household income, they are not directly comparable. This is due to differences in scope, collection methodology, collection period, and conceptual differences. It is likely that data from each of these collections will deliver different outcomes making it important for data users to understand the key conceptual differences between each collection to use it most appropriately.  

• Total household income (weekly) (HIND)
• Total personal income (administrative data) (weekly) (INCAP) 
• Total household income (administrative data) (weekly) (HINAD)
• Main source of household income (administrative data) (HSAD)
• Main type of household government benefit payment (administrative data) (HGAD)
• Total family income as available (administrative data) (weekly) (FIAASF) 
• Administrative data
• Government benefits, pensions and allowances
• Household

• Understanding income in administrative data, the Census and ABS surveys
• New Census insights on income in Australia using administrative data
• Housing
• Earnings and work hours

This variable identifies households where people were absent from the dwelling on Census Night, did not state their income, or stated a negative income.

Occupied private dwellings

This variable is derived from the following variables:

• Household composition (HHCD)
• Total personal income (INCP)

To identify households with members aged 15 years and over temporarily absent on Census Night the following variables are used:

• Count of persons temporarily absent from dwelling (CPAD)
• Count of persons/dependent children temporarily absent from family variables (CPAF)

This variable was first introduced in the 1991 Census.

No changes have been made for 2021.

This variable allows household income to be derived from individual incomes based on certain conditions as listed in the categories.

Household income derivation indicator can also be used:

• to remove these households from the population of a table, or to estimate the impact on total household income caused by negative income or people away from the dwelling on Census Night
• in conjunction with Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) to create a new household income variable.

This variable does not have a non-response rate as it is created during Census processing by using responses from more than one question on the Census form. 

• Total household income (weekly) (HIND)
• Total personal income (weekly) (INCP)

• Earnings and work hours
• People and communities
• Income and work: Census

Equivalised total household income is household income adjusted by the application of an equivalence scale to facilitate comparison of income levels between households of differing size and composition. This variable reflects that a larger household would normally need more income than a smaller household to achieve the same standard of living. The 'modified OECD' equivalence scale is used.

Equivalised total household income can be viewed as an indicator of the economic resources available to a standardised household. For a lone person household, it is equal to household income. For a household comprising more than one person, it is an indicator of the household income that would be needed by a lone person household to enjoy the same level of economic wellbeing.

Family, lone person and group households

This variable is created by summing the personal incomes reported by all household members aged 15 years and over and applying a weighting according to the 'modified OECD' equivalence scale.

The equivalence factor is built by summing all equivalence points allocated to each person in a household:

• 1 point to the first adult
• 0.5 points to each additional person who is 15 years and over
• 0.3 points to each child under the age of 15

As personal income is collected in ranges, median values are assigned to each range using data from the Survey of Income and Housing. For more information about this survey see the Survey of Income and Housing, User Guide.

Households where all or at least one member aged 15 and over did not state an income are set to either:

• 'All incomes not stated'
• 'Partial income stated'

Households where at least one member aged 15 and over was away from the dwelling on Census Night are also set to 'Partial incomes stated'. 

Where children under 15 years were absent from the household on Census Night, they were included in the calculation. Visitors and people in 'Not applicable' categories are excluded from the calculation. HIED is not calculated for households that comprise only visitors.

This variable was first used in 2006, though other measures of household income had been used in previous censuses. For 2016 the categories for annual income dollar ranges were revised.

For 2021, additional higher end income ranges were added, to reflect changes that were made to the personal income variable. The '$3,000 or more ($156,000)' range has been split into two categories:

• '$3,000-$3,499 ($156,000-$181,999)' 
• '$3,500 or more ($182,000 or more)'

Equivalised total household income can be viewed as an indicator of the economic resources available to a standardised household. For a lone person household it is equal to household income. For a household comprising more than one person, it is an indicator of the household income that would be needed by a lone person household to enjoy the same level of economic wellbeing.

Alternatively, equivalised total household income can be viewed as an indicator of the economic resources available to everyone in a household. Mean equivalised household income is therefore calculated by adding the equivalised total household income of all households, and then dividing by the number of people. This enables people in large households to have the same contribution to the mean as people living alone.

Equivalised total household income is set to zero when total household income is negative, such as when losses incurred in a household's unincorporated business or other investments are greater than any positive income from any other sources.

Total family income is not equivalised. All people in a household benefit from the economies of scale for housing and other shared costs, regardless of whether they are in the same family or not. Therefore the most appropriate indicator of the standard of living of a family is still the equivalised income of the household in which they live.

A more detailed explanation is provided in Survey of Income and Housing, User Guide, Australia.

Increases to counts in the higher household equivalised income ranges can be partly attributed to the addition of a higher income range to the Personal income question. For more details, see Total personal income (weekly) (INCP).

This variable does not have a non-response rate as it is created during Census processing by using responses from one or more questions on the Census form. 

• Total household income (weekly) (HIND)
• Total personal income (weekly) (INCP)

• Housing
• Earnings and work hours
• Income and work: Census

This variable provides the total weekly income of a private household based on the reported personal incomes of all members that are aged 15 years or older.

Occupied private dwellings

Total household income as stated (weekly) is the sum of Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) of each resident aged 15 years and over present in the household on Census Night. As personal income is collected in ranges, median values are assigned to each range using data from the Survey of Income and Housing. For more information about this survey see the Survey of Income and Housing, User Guide. 

The income ranges for Total household income as stated (weekly) include households where one or more household members aged 15 years and over did not state their income, or were temporarily absent. In the variable Total household income (weekly) (HIND), these households would be excluded from the household income calculation and be coded to the category 'Partial income stated'.

Where no member of a household aged 15 years and over has stated their income, the household is classified as 'All incomes not stated'.

In most cases, the income of visitors to a household is excluded from Total household income as stated. The exception to this is households that comprise only visitors.

This variable was first used in 2006, though other measures of household income had been used in previous censuses. For 2016 the categories for annual income dollar ranges were revised.

No changes have been made to the household income categories for 2021.

Total household income as stated is calculated for visitor only households in order to collect data on household income in tourist areas.

Increases to counts in the higher household income ranges can be partly attributed to the addition of a higher income range to the Personal income question. For more details, see Total personal income (weekly) (INCP).

This variable does not have a non-response rate as it is created during Census processing by using responses from one or more questions on the Census form. 

• Total household income (weekly) (HIND)
• Total personal income (weekly) (INCP)

• Housing
• Earnings and work hours
• Income and work: Census

This variable is the sum of Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) of each resident aged 15 years or older who was present in the household on Census Night. 

Occupied private dwellings

This variable is calculated by summing the personal incomes reported by all household members aged 15 years and over. The Census collects personal income in ranges, so before these can be summed, a specific dollar amount needs to be allocated to each person. Median incomes for each range, derived using data from the Survey of Income and Housing, are used for this purpose. For more information about this survey see the Survey of Income and Housing, User Guide.

Households where all or at least one member aged 15 and over did not state an income are set to:

• 'All incomes not stated' and
• 'Partial income stated' respectively.

Households where at least one member aged 15 and over was away from the dwelling on Census Night are also set to 'Partial incomes stated'. 

In most cases, the income of visitors to a household are excluded from Total household income as stated. The exception to this is households that comprise only visitors.

A variable relating to household income was first used in the 1976 Census.

No changes have been made to the household income categories for 2021.

If there is a need to recalculate this variable under different circumstances, the derived variable Household income derivation indicator (HIDD) can be used in conjunction with Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) to create a new household income variable.

Total household income is calculated for visitor only households to collect data on household income in tourist areas.

Increases to counts in the higher household income ranges can be partly attributed to the addition of a higher income range to the Personal income question. For more details, see Total personal income (weekly) (INCP).

This variable does not have a non-response rate as it is created during Census processing by using responses from one or more questions on the Census form. 

• Household income derivation indicator (HIDD)
• Total household income as stated (weekly) (HINASD)
• Total personal income (weekly) (INCP)
• Median income
• Undercount and/or underenumeration

• Housing
• Earnings and work hours
• Income and work: Census

This variable indicates the number of hours worked by the employed person in all jobs during the week prior to Census night. This excludes any time off but includes overtime and extra time worked.

In standard Census products the data is generally published in ranges using Hours worked (ranges) (HRWRP).

Employed persons aged 15 years and over

Data for this variable is captured automatically from written numeric responses or the 'None' mark box on the paper form. Outlying values are checked manually to ensure that they match the actual response on the form. The data may include a small proportion of persons with an unusual number of hours worked, as all numeric responses are accepted as reported.

The question relating to Hours worked was first asked in the 1966 Census. In 1971, 1976 and since 1996, the Hours worked question has focused on hours worked in all jobs held in the week prior to the Census.

No changes have been made for 2021.

Information on hours worked, classified by industry and occupation, allows changes in the labour force to be analysed. It also enhances the use of Journey to Work data for transport studies.

Hours worked, when used in combination with Labour force status (LFSP), provides information on full-time and part-time employment. For Census purposes, a person is considered to be working full-time if they worked 35 hours or more in all jobs during the week prior to Census night.

A number of regions across the country were in various stages of lockdown on Census day, and the week preceding it, resulting in a greater number of people being temporarily stood down. Even if lockdowns impacted a person's normal working hours, respondents were asked to answer this question accurately per their current situation. 

Unlike most Census variables, the non-response rate for Hours worked (HRSP) is not affected by persons who did not return a Census form because this variable is only applicable to persons with a labour force status of 'employed'. Persons who do not respond to the labour force status questions have a labour force status of not stated and fall in the 'not applicable' category within the Hours Worked variable.

The non-response rate for Hours worked (HRSP) was 1.7% in 2021. This is a decrease from 1.9% in 2016.

• Labour force status (LFSP)
• Occupation (OCCP)
• Place of work (POWP)

• Earnings and work hours
• Employment and unemployment
• Income and work: Census

This variable indicates the number of hours worked in ranges by the employed person in all jobs during the week prior to Census night. This excludes any time off but includes overtime and extra time worked.

In standard Census products the data is generally published in ranges. Hours worked are also produced in single hours in Hours worked (HRSP).

Employed persons aged 15 years and over

Data for this variable is captured automatically from written numeric responses, or the 'None' mark box on the paper form. Outlying values are checked manually to ensure that they match the actual response on the form. The data may include a small proportion of persons with an unusual number of hours worked, as all numeric responses are accepted as reported.

The question relating to Hours worked was first asked in the 1966 Census. In 1971, 1976 and since 1996, the hours worked question has focused on hours worked in all jobs held in the week prior to the Census.

The Hours worked (ranges) variable was first introduced for the 2011 Census. Since 2016, the 'None' mark box from the question was removed from the online version of the Census form. 

For 2021, the output categories (ranges) for this variable have been updated to align with the Standards for labour force statistics, 2018. There are now more categories available.  

Information on hours worked, classified by industry and occupation, allows changes in the labour force to be analysed. It also enhances the use of Journey to Work data for transport studies.

Hours worked, when used in combination with Labour force status (LFSP), provides information on full-time and part-time employment. For Census purposes, a person is considered to be working full-time if they worked 35 hours or more in all jobs during the week prior to Census night.

This variable is derived from the Hours worked (HRSP) variable. Unlike most Census variables, the non-response rate for Hours Worked (HRSP) is not affected by persons who did not return a Census form because this variable is only applicable to persons with a labour force status (LFSP) of 'employed'. Persons who do not respond to the labour force status questions have a labour force status of not stated and fall in the 'not applicable' category within the Hours Worked variable.

The non-response rate for Hours worked (HRSP) was 1.7% in 2021. This is a decrease from 1.9% in 2016.

• Labour force status (LFSP)
• Occupation (OCCP)
• Place of work (POWP)

• Earnings and work hours
• Employment and unemployment
• Standards for labour force statistics, 2018
• Income and work: Census

This variable indicates the total income (in ranges) that a person usually receives each week. Equivalent annual income amounts appear in brackets.

Persons aged 15 years and over

This variable is captured automatically from mark box responses on the Census form. Respondents are asked to only mark one response. Where a respondent provides more than one response, the responses are accepted in the order they appear on the form and the extra responses are rejected.

Questions on income were first included in the Census in 1933 and have been asked in each Census since 1976. In 2006, this variable was referred to as 'Individual Income (weekly)'.

Income ranges were updated in 2016.

For 2021, an additional income range has been added to reflect changes to the personal income question options. '15 $3,000 or more ($156,000)' has been split into two categories:

• '15 $3,000-$3,499 ($156,000-$181,999)' 
• '16 $3,500 or more ($182,000 or more)'

This change accounts for higher income ranges.

Comparison to other ABS surveys

Even though the Census and other ABS surveys, such as the Survey of Income and Housing and Personal Income in Australia, 2011-2012 to 2017-2018, collect similar data relating to personal income, they are not directly comparable. This is due to differences in scope, collection methodology, the time period the collection relates to, and conceptual differences. It is likely that data from each of these collections will deliver different outcomes making it important for data users to understand the key conceptual differences between each collection in order to most appropriately use it. 

Negative income

Negative income in the Census includes people who own their own business and report negative income due to losses or negative gearing of rentals.

Lockdown

A number of regions across the country were in various stages of lockdown on Census Night, and the week preceding it, resulting in a greater number of people being temporarily stood down, which impacted their income. To gain a better understanding of the true income levels of Australians, guidance for people in lockdown on how to correctly respond was provided at the time on the Census website, as follows: 

'Please reflect your usual income, as it was before the commencement of the current COVID-19 lockdown period.'

The non-response rate for Total personal income (weekly) (INCP) was 7.2% in 2021. This is a decrease from 9.0% in 2016. 

• Total family income as stated (weekly) (FINASF)
• Total family income (weekly) (FINF)
• Total household income as stated (weekly) (HINASD)
• Total household income (weekly) (HIND)
• Equivalised total household income (weekly) (HIED)
• Government benefits, pensions and allowances
• Median income
• Negative income

• Labour
• Earnings and work hours
• Employment and unemployment
• Income and work: Census

This variable indicates the main source of income that a household received. This is based on all income recorded in administrative data for the 2020/2021 financial year of residents aged 15 years or older who were present in the household on Census Night. 

This variable wasn’t derived from data collected on the Census form but has been created by linking administrative data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to the Census. 

Occupied private dwellings

This variable wasn’t derived from data collected on the Census form but has been created by linking administrative data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) data asset to the Census. The PLIDA data asset contains administrative income data from the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Social Services, this is the source data for this variable.   

This variable is calculated based on all income recorded in administrative data for the 2020/2021 financial year of residents aged 15 years or older who were present in the household on Census Night (see HIAASD). This includes households where one or more residents did not have income information available in administrative data or where one or more residents was absent from the dwelling on Census Night. 

The main source of income is the category with the largest total income recorded. This variable does not record the dollar amount of income earned; it records what the main source of income is.  

For example, a household may have earned substantial income from a salary and received a small amount of additional income from investments. This variable only records the main source of their income, in this case a salary.  

In the case of a household receiving the same amount of income from two or more sources, the main source of income was selected by choosing the income type which was higher in the following ranked list: 

1. Employee wages and salary 
2. Government benefits and allowances 
3. Own unincorporated business income 
4. Superannuation income 
5. Investment income 
6. Other income 

This is a new variable for 2021.

This variable provides an alternative, more detailed view on income than income data collected in the Census. It is based on income information recorded in linked administrative data, and not data collected from a Census question. 

Superannuation income in administrative data 

The administrative data used to derive this variable had limited coverage of income from superannuation, because many superannuation payments are not required to be reported annually to the Australian Taxation Office.  

This means that we have under-recorded the amount of income households received from superannuation. In these cases the main source of household income would either be set to another income type (where the household also received income from another source) or income for this household would be incorrectly set to Nil.  

This has resulted in a known undercount of the number of households with superannuation as their main source of household income, and an overcount of the number of households with other income types as their main source of household income.   

Comparison to other ABS Surveys 

Although other ABS surveys, such as the Survey of Income and Housing and Personal Income in Australia, collect similar data relating to household income, they are not directly comparable. This is due to differences in scope, collection methodology, collection period, and conceptual differences. It is likely that data from each of these collections will deliver different outcomes making it important for data users to understand the key conceptual differences between each collection to use it most appropriately.  

• Main source of personal income (administrative data) (ISAP)
• Total household income as available (administrative data) (weekly) (HIAASD)
• Main type of household government benefit payment (administrative data) (HGAD)
• Main source of family income (administrative data) (FSAF)
• Administrative data
• Government benefits, pensions and allowances

• Understanding income in administrative data, the Census and ABS surveys
• New Census insights on income in Australia using administrative data
• Housing
• Earnings and work hours

This variable describes the industry of the main job held by the employed person in the week prior to Census night.

Employed people aged 15 years and over

Industry of employment is coded to the Australian and New Zealand Standards Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0). The categories are listed in groups below. The full list is available from the Data downloads section on this page.