Country of birth of parents (BPPP)

Latest release
Census of Population and Housing: Census dictionary
Cite
Reference period
2026

Definition

This variable shows whether a person's parents were born in Australia or overseas. It combines information from the country of birth of parent 1/mother (BPP1P) and country of birth parent 2/father (BPP2P) variables. 

This information is commonly used with the country of birth of person (BPLP) variable to understand outcomes for first‑generation and second‑generation Australians. 

Scope

All persons

Categories

Code Category 
1 Both parents born overseas 
2 One parent born overseas, one parent born in Australia 
3 One parent born overseas, one parent’s birthplace not stated 
4 Both parents born in Australia 
5 One parent born in Australia, one parent's birthplace not stated 
& Birthplace of both parents not stated 
V Overseas visitor 

Number of categories: 7 

See Understanding supplementary codes for more information. 

Question(s) from the Census form

In which country was the person’s mother or parent 1 born?

In which country was the person’s father or parent 2 born?

How this variable is created

The country of birth of parents (BPPP) variable is derived from information from country of birth of parent 1/mother (BPP1P) and country of birth of parent 2/father (BPP2P).  Each response is coded using the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC), which includes country codes and supplementary codes, such as ‘Not stated’ and ‘Overseas visitor’. Both coded responses are then combined to assign a BPPP category. 

A person is classified as: 

  • ‘Both parents born overseas’ if both parents are coded to overseas countries (that is, any country other than Australia and its external territories) 
  • ‘One parent born overseas, one parent born in Australia’ if one parent is coded to an overseas country and the other to Australia (including external territories), regardless of which parent 
  • ‘One parent born overseas, one parent’s birthplace not stated’ if one parent is coded to an overseas country and the other to ‘Not stated’ 
  • ‘Both parents born in Australia’ if both parents are coded to Australia 
  • ‘One parent born in Australia, one parent’s birthplace not stated’ if one parent is coded to Australia and the other to ‘Not stated’ 
  • ‘Birthplace of both parents not stated’ if both responses are coded to ‘Not stated’ 

History and changes

The questions used to create this variable were first asked in the 1921 Census. They were not asked again until 1971 but have been included in every Census since. 

In 2026, the wording of the questions used to create this variable was updated to provide clarity for people reporting gender diverse, adoptive, or step parents. 

For this variable, gendered terms were removed from the output categories, and the responses coded the same way regardless of the parent’s gender. A new category was added so that the country of birth of one parent can still be shown when the other parent’s birthplace is recorded as ‘Not stated’.