Australian Defence Force service (ADFP)

This variable shows whether a person is currently serving or has previously served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The ADF includes the: 

• Australian Army (including regional forces such as NORFORCE) 
• Royal Australian Navy 
• Royal Australian Air Force 
• It also includes people who served in the National Service or the Second Australian Imperial Force 

Regular service is a person’s main ongoing job and is usually full time. 

Reserve service is usually part time and can involve up to 200 days of service a year, depending on the role. 

This variable does not include people who served in non‑Australian defence forces. 

Persons aged 15 years and over

This variable is based on the mark‑box responses to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) service question. It is a multi‑response question, and respondents are instructed to select all options that apply. Some combinations of responses are not valid, including: 

• If all options are selected, the response is coded as ‘Not stated’
• If ‘No’ and another option are selected, ‘No’ is disregarded
• When both current and previous service are marked for the same service type, current service takes priority
• If both Regular and Reserve current service are marked, Regular service takes priority

This variable is an aggregated version of Australian Defence Force service, detailed (ADCP). The table below shows how the variables relate. 

This variable was first included in the 2021 Census. 

There have been no changes for the 2026 Census.