This variable shows whether a person has Australian citizenship.
All persons
| Code | Category |
|---|---|
| 1 | Australian citizen |
| 2 | Not an Australian citizen |
| & | Not stated |
| V | Overseas visitor |
Number of categories: 4
See Understanding supplementary codes for more information.
This variable is derived from responses to the Australian citizenship question on the Census form. Responses are captured automatically from mark boxes; this reduces processing errors. Respondents are instructed to select only one option; if multiple responses are selected, the first marked option is accepted and additional responses are disregarded.
A citizenship question has been included in every Census since 1911. Before 1986, it asked people to state their country of citizenship or their nationality instead of asking if they were an Australian citizen.
In 2021, the category labels were updated:
There have been no changes for the 2026 Census.
