Ancestry 1st response (ANC1P)

This variable shows how a person identifies their ancestry. When answering this question, people may think about where their parents or grandparents are from.

People can report up to four ancestries. The first ancestry they provide is recorded as ancestry 1st response (ANC1P). 

See also: 

• Ancestry 2nd response (ANC2P)
• Ancestry 3rd response (ANC3P)
• Ancestry 4th response (ANC4P)
• Ancestry multi response (ANCP) 

All persons 

Ancestry is coded using the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG). The categories are listed in groups below.  

Number of categories:  

• one-digit level: 12 
• two-digit level: 41      
• four-digit level: 320 

See Understanding supplementary codes for more information. 

Ancestry variables are created from responses to the Census ancestry question. In the 2026 Census, respondents can select up to four ancestries by using the mark boxes, and/or the free text response boxes. The 2026 Census mark box options are based on the most common ancestries reported in the 2021 Census, with the addition of 'Aboriginal' and 'Torres Strait Islander' mark boxes. The allocation of ancestries to the variables ANC1P, ANC2P, ANC3P, and ANC4P are based on the order the responses are processed (for example, ANC1P is the first response processed). These four variables are then combined to create the ancestry multi response variable (ANCP). 

Most ancestry responses are coded automatically using the ASCCEG. When coding, the following rules apply: 

• If responses are unable to be automatically coded, they are coded manually 
• Where respondents provide more than four ancestries, only four are processed 
• Where fewer than four ancestries are provided, unrequired ancestry variables are recorded as ‘Not applicable’. For example, if only two ancestries are provided, ANC3P and ANC4P are recorded as ‘Not applicable’ 
• If a response is not listed in the ASCCEG classification, it is coded to 'Inadequately described' 

Ancestry was first asked in the 1986 Census to measure the cultural and ethnic composition of the population. The question did not perform as expected, likely due to the question being understood in different ways by respondents. As a result, the question was not included in the 1991 or 1996 Censuses. 

In 2001, the question was added back into the Census with instructions that people could list more than one ancestry and should think about their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, when answering. 

For the 2006 and 2011 Censuses, people were asked to mark the ancestries they most identified with and to think back two generations (parents and grandparents). They were asked to report at least one ancestry and could report up to two. 

In 2021, mark boxes for ‘Aboriginal’ and ‘Torres Strait Islander’ ancestries were added. These changes were expected to reduce the number of people selecting ‘Australian’ and increase the number choosing specific Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ancestries. In the online form, these new options appeared at the top of the list of response options for people who marked ‘Yes’ options at the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin question. 

For 2026, the number of responses allowed has been increased to four. This change aims to allow people to share more detailed cultural background information and provide a clearer picture of the cultural and ethnic composition of Australia. 

As with previous cycles, response categories reflect the most common ancestries reported in the previous Census. ‘Australian’ was kept as the last response option before the free text boxes for ‘Other ancestry/s’ to encourage more detailed answers. 

The ASCCEG, used to code ancestry responses, was reviewed and updated in 2025. Details about the changes in the classification can be found in the what has changed section.