This variable captures whether a person identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person in the Census.
All persons
For this variable, the method for collecting information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is through self-identification.
The Census uses the ABS Standard Indigenous question. This question may be completed by the individual or by another member of the household on their behalf. Responses are captured automatically through mark-box selections, helping to reduce processing errors.
Respondents who identify as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are instructed to select both 'Yes, Aboriginal' and 'Yes, Torres Strait Islander'.
If a respondent selects both ‘No’ and one or more ‘Yes’ options, their Indigenous Status is recorded as ‘Not stated’.
Further information about how the ABS collects Indigenous Status and the Standard Indigenous Question is available in Indigenous Status Standard, 2014, Version 1.5 | Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The 1971 Census was the first to include all Australians following the 1967 Referendum. The 1967 Referendum changed the Constitution to allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be included in official Census population counts.
In 2026, the categories of this variable changed to a hierarchical structure, updates were also made to category labels. This enhancement makes it easier to use and analyse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data from the Census in tools such as Census TableBuilder.
