Information about the 2026 Census timeline, how the Census works, topics, participation, data and more.
There are 66 questions on the 2026 Census form.
Census questions are categorised into nine topics:
The 2026 Census includes new questions on gender and sexual orientation. These questions will help build a clearer picture of Australia’s LGBTQ+ population and support planning for health and community services.
The 2026 Census asks about a person’s sex recorded at birth. For people aged 16 years and older it also asks what a person’s gender is and how the person describes their sexual orientation.
A ‘prefer not to answer’ option is included for both new questions.
A question on sex has been included in every Australian Census since 1911. In 2026, that question has been updated to ask about sex recorded at birth alongside the new gender question.
Asking both questions will improve the quality of the data collected. Together, the answers will help produce data about cisgender, trans and gender diverse Australians.
The ABS recommended these new questions to government after extensive public consultation.
Because the Census is for everyone in Australia, the questions need to be easy to understand for people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
The ABS carried out extensive public consultation and testing to develop the wording and response options.
The 2026 Census asks if a person is of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, both or neither.
The Census provides important data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It’s a key resource for communities, businesses and governments, informing decisions in areas like education, employment, health, infrastructure, and community services.
Counts of people who identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in the Census also inform statistics such as those used in Closing the Gap reporting.
Due to changes to the ancestry response categories in the 2021 Census, there was a significant increase in people selecting an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ancestry.
As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestry data from the 2021 Census is not directly comparable with previous censuses.
Since the first National Census in 1911, topics have changed on the Census form to reflect contemporary views and emerging data needs. This ensures Census data remains relevant and useful for decision making. It also adds value to the economic, social and cultural make-up of the country.
Before making changes, the ABS considers how important the data is, whether it is available from other sources, and the impact on how easy the Census is to complete.
Ahead of the 2026 Census, the ABS undertook a two-phase consultation process on what topics to change.
Following testing and stakeholder engagement, the ABS recommended the Australian Government collect gender and sexual orientation data in the 2026 Census.
The Australian Government accepted this recommendation and announced a new topic for people aged 16 years and over. The Government also agreed to remove the ‘Number of children ever born’ topic and make minor wording updates.
The final 2026 Census questions are available on the ABS website.
Geelong is home to the world’s first AFL and Netball all-abilities leagues, welcoming all players with a disability to create real belonging in the community.
Data from the 2026 Census will help them plan for more inclusive sports.
Australian Business Volunteers help regional and remote communities solve real-world challenges by connecting them with business experts.
2026 Census data will help them understand local communities and plan programs that create lasting impact.
Census data is being used to inform targeted support services and improve long-term outcomes for veterans and their families.
Prior to 2021, there was no comprehensive data on the total number of veterans living in Australia. Combined with other information collected in the Census about long-term health conditions, age, sex, location, and family members, the Census helps build a rich demographic picture of Australia’s veteran community.
The Healthy Deadly Kids (HDK) program is teaching primary school kids the importance of nutrition, mental health and physical activity.
HDK implements this important work thanks to insights provided by the Census.
Playgroup Australia uses Census data to understand changing community needs and ensure its playgroups remain relevant, flexible and accessible for families.
Census data helps plan when and where playgroups are offered, including more weekend and after‑hours sessions.
It also helps identify where new or specialised playgroups could support local families.
Street Side Medics brings doctor-led care to people experiencing homelessness - whether that’s sleeping rough in inner-Sydney or staying on a friend’s couch in a regional town.
The 2026 Census will help them identify more communities where their service is needed.
The Man Cave is Australia’s leading preventative mental health charity for boys and young men, teaching the next generation how to support each other and embrace their vulnerability.
Data from the 2026 Census will help them better understand the communities that need their support around the country.
To meet the evolving needs of a diverse range of data users, the ABS has redesigned its Census data products.
From June 2027, Census data will be free and available through a range of products, making it easier to access and use:
The Census dictionary provides detailed information about Census variables and concepts, helping data users better understand and interpret Census data.
The initial release of the 2026 Census data dictionary is available now. It is a preliminary publication that offers a high-level overview of key Census variables.
It describes variables that will be collected in the 2026 Census; the associated data will be released from June 2027.
Additional releases of the dictionary will be published in the lead-up to the data release.
After the Census, some households may be contacted by ABS staff and asked to take part in the Post Census Review.
The Post Census Review is conducted after every Census to help assess the accuracy and quality of the information collected.
The review is used to estimate how many people should have been counted in the Census, how many people were missed and how many were counted more than once or in error.
Like the Census, the Post Census Review survey is compulsory.
The 18th Australian Census of Population and Housing was on Tuesday 10 August 2021.
It was conducted during an unprecedented time in Australian history, during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 Census counted 25.4 million respondents, an increase of more than two million people or 8.6 per cent from the 2016 Census.
Protecting people’s privacy and keeping information safe and secure is our highest priority and a key factor in designing all elements of the Census.
We’re working to optimise elements of the Census online service to improve user experience, quality and performance while ensuring it remains secure.
The Census website and online form were built based on Secure-by-Design principles and industry best practices informed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), industry partners and other experts.
The ABS is engaging with the ACSC on the implementation of technical advice and guidance to maintain data quality, privacy, security and availability of the Census systems.
To keep Census data safe and secure we also:
A key purpose of the Census is to collect data for official population estimates.
Population estimates are calculated using Census data adjusted to account for people missed in the Census or who were overseas.
They include everyone who usually lives in Australia, regardless of their nationality or citizenship; including usual residents who are overseas for less than 12 months, and overseas visitors who are in Australia for more than 12 months.
Population estimates inform critical decisions such as the distribution of Commonwealth funding, setting of electoral boundaries, GST distribution and population projections.
The ‘Place of usual residence’ concept is not intended to measure temporary or service populations, or how many people there are in areas at different points in time.
There are a range of regions around Australia that experience differences between their resident and service or seasonal populations, including:
This is why the Census takes place in winter, when we expect the least amount of mobility across the population.
The main way the ABS determines which homes have people living in them at Census time is based on whether or not they return a Census form.
If we receive a Census form for a home we mark it as ‘occupied’.
If we do not receive a Census form, we use other methods to determine whether it is occupied or not, including:
Marking a home as ‘unoccupied’ does not necessarily mean it is vacant over the long term, rather that it was vacant on Census night.
The first population counts in Australia were made as early as 1788.
From 1795 to 1825, ‘musters’ were held regularly where all members of the community gathered at specified locations to be counted.
In 1828, the first colonial Census was conducted in New South Wales, with Tasmania in 1841, South Australia in 1844, Western Australia in 1848, and Victoria in 1854.
In 1881, the first simultaneous Censuses of all the Australian colonies was conducted.
In 1911, the first national Census was conducted by the ABS. Around 7,300 people were appointed for the collection work.
Field Officers travelled by horse, cart and bicycle to collect forms across the country and the information collected was tabulated by hand.
The Census was repeated in 1921, 1933, 1947, 1954, 1961, 1966 and from then on, every five years.
In 1921, Census information was tabulated using mechanical machine equipment.
The machines used in 1961 were so large that when delivered they could not fit through the door of the Census office in Canberra. A large hole had to be cut in the side of the wooden building to install them. The 1961 Census was the last to use tabulating machines.
In 1954, women were hired to process and code data for the first time.
The 1967 Referendum mandated all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples be counted in the Australian Census.
Computer technology was first used to process Census information in 1966, and people were provided with the option to complete their Census online in 2006.