This variable records a person’s relationship status based on current living arrangements. It identifies whether they are in a couple relationship with someone in the same household, and the relationship type.
Scope
Persons aged 15 years and over usually resident and present in the household on Census night.
What is the person's relationship to person 1/person 2?
Image
Description
This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: What is Person 2's relationship to Person 1?
Underneath the question text, the instructional text states: Examples of other relationships: Son-in-law, Grandchild, Aunt, Boarder.
Underneath the instructional text, is a clickable More Information header. Once clicked, the More Information is shown, and states: If more than one response applies, select only the option that shows the relationship that most closely applies.
The response options are: Husband or wife or spouse of Person 1; De facto partner of Person 1; Child of Person 1; Stepchild of Person 1; Parent of Person 1; Brother or sister or sibling of Person 1; Unrelated flatmate or co-tenant of Person 1; Other relationship to Person 1(specify), followed by a free text field.
What is the person’s current marital status?
Image
Description
This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: What is Person 1’s current marital status?
Underneath the question text, the instructional text states: ‘Married’ refers to registered marriages.
Underneath the instructional text, is a clickable More Information header. Once clicked, the More Information is shown, and states: If the person is divorced or widowed and has remarried, select ‘Married’. If the person is divorced and has not remarried, select ‘Divorced’, even if the person lives in a de facto relationship. If the person is in a de facto relationship and has not been in a registered marriage, select ‘Never married’.
The response options are: Never married; Widowed; Divorced; Separated but not divorced; Married.
For each person away, complete the following questions:
Image
Description
This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: List the people who will be away on the night of Tuesday 11 August 2026 but usually live in this dwelling.
Underneath the question text, the instructional text states: Remember that people listed here will need to complete a Census form for where they will be in Australia on Census night.
There is a heading titled People away with an option to List Person Away 1 with text next to it that any person who usually lives in this dwelling but will be away.
There is a button underneath to add another person away.
Image
Description
This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: What is Person Away A's relationship to Person 1/Person 2?
Underneath the question text, the instructional text states: Examples of other relationships: Son-in-law, Grandchild, Aunt, Boarder.
Underneath the instructional text, is a clickable More Information header. Once clicked, the More Information is shown, and states: If more than one response applies, select the option that shows the relationship that most closely applies.
The response options are: Husband or wife or spouse of Person 1; De facto partner of Person 1; Child of both Person 1 and Person 2; Child of Person 1 only; Child of Person 2 only; Unrelated flatmate or co-tenant of Person 1; Other relationship to Person 1(specify), followed by a free text field.
How this variable is created
Data about people’s relationships with others in the same dwelling, including de facto relationships and registered marriages, is derived from responses to the relationship in household question on the Census form.
Additional information is used during processing to identify some partnerships. This includes details for people temporarily absent on Census night, registered marital status, age, name, and usual residence. If a registered marriage or de facto relationship is not identified for a person, they are classified as ‘Does not live with a spouse or partner’.
History and changes
A question on marital status has been included in every Census since 1911. A separate variable for de facto or social marital status was introduced in 1986 and has been used in every Census since.
In 2026, changes were made to the classification structure, number of output categories and the category labels to better show a person's relationship status based on their current living arrangement.
