ABS explained

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is Australia’s national statistics agency. This means we are an official source of independent and reliable data and insights. 

“We tell the story of Australia - its economy, its people, its challenges and opportunities.” - Dr David Gruen, Australian Statistician.

The ABS delivers trusted, meaningful statistics that informs Australia's important decisions. Our statistics come from the wide range of data we collect and analyse through our surveys, administrative data collections, and the Census of Population and Housing, and cover: 

• Social data (e.g. Health, Communities, Crime and Justice)
• Economic data (e.g. Indexes and Inflation, National Accounts, Loans and Finances)
• Labour data (e.g. Employment, Jobs, Earnings)
• Industry data (e.g. Business Indicators, Construction, Agriculture)
• Population data (e.g. Population Counts, Births, Deaths, Migration)
• Environmental data (e.g. Ecosystem, Land and Water accounts)

We also develop national data infrastructure and capabilities, such as building linked datasets and lifting data capabilities in professionals across private and public sectors. 

Visit the ABS Corporate Plan for more information on our purpose, operating context, and forward work program. 

The legislation and policies we work under protect our independence, the data we collect and the privacy of people’s information. 

The Census and Statistics Act 1905 authorises us to collect statistical information and requires us to maintain the confidentiality of the information we collect, backed up by the Privacy Act 1998.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics Act 1975 establishes the ABS as an independent statutory authority.

The Public Service Act 1999 requires us to be apolitical and serve the Government, Parliament and Australian public.

We are committed to the Australian Public Service values, which support us in building strong relationships with people who give us information and people who use our statistics. 

We rely on the trust and cooperation of the Australian people, our partner institutions, and the international statistics community to effectively perform our role.

We are committed to pushing the boundaries of what data can do for Australian communities, businesses and Governments. 

We are also committed to continuous improvement, adapting our data, technology, and workforce to deliver trusted insights.

We are making it easier for people to give us the information we need to help inform Australia’s important decisions.

Our Data Acquisition Modernisation Program (DA Mod) is creating a simple, safe, and user-friendly digital experience for people completing our surveys, as well as using administrative and other data sources.

The modernisation of the Labour Force Survey is a clear example of how our DA Mod program improves the survey experience for people. 

We are working with other organisations to find new data sources, make alternative data sources more available, and generate new insights. 

Our Big Data, Timely Insights (BDTI) program is moving our core statistical tools and processes into a cloud-based environment, replacing legacy Information Technology (IT) systems, and maximising the value of ABS statistics.

The Complete monthly measure of the CPI, our new headline measure of inflation that brought Australia in line with all other G20 countries, was a major outcome from the BDTI program.

We work with the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) to lift data capabilities across the APS and find innovative ways to produce data that meets Australia’s needs.

The Australian Public Service (APS) Data Profession initiative aims to attracts, develops and retains our data professionals and is open to all APS employees.

As part of this, we run the annual APS Data Awards to highlight the innovative and resourceful solutions that use data to make a difference to the Australian community.

The Census of Population and Housing is the largest data collection in Australia and a major part of our role as Australia’s national statistics agency. 

Visit our Census page for information about the 2026 Census timeline, topics, participation, data and more.

We have over 30 surveys that go to people, households and businesses to help us tell the story of Australia.

We always provide collection notices for our surveys and other forms that explain the type of information we plan to collect. 

Our surveys are just like other civic duties, like voting or jury duty, people are obliged to complete it under the Census and Statistics Act 1905.

We use a fair statistical method to randomly select households and businesses to make sure our data is representative of all communities, backgrounds, and situations.

We design our surveys to be easy and safe to complete, and have many services and resources available if someone needs help with theirs.

When someone is selected for one of our surveys, we will write to them with instructions on how to complete their survey and offering those support services like contact details and online resources. 

We also have a workforce of field staff that sometimes visit households and businesses to provide in-person support, and will always identify themselves by:

• Showing you their official ABS photo identification
• Clearly explain the information they are seeking.

Fines are a last resort for the ABS, instead we focus on supporting people selected for our surveys by making our surveys easier, protecting people’s privacy, and providing resources and services for individual assistance.

If someone has still not completed their survey, the Australian Statistician may choose to direct this person or organisation, in writing, to provide the requested information. 

Fines, or penalty units, can be imposed for offences under the provisions Census and Statistics Act 1905, including: 

• Failing to comply with a written direction from the Australian Statistician to provide information (1 penalty unit for each day of non-compliance)
• Providing false or misleading statements or information (10 penalty units).

Protecting people’s information and privacy is a legal requirement and a major priority for us, especially when we rely on the trust and cooperation of the Australian people to perform our purpose.

We protect people’s privacy by storing information securely, making sure individuals and organisations can never be identified in our published statistics, and only collecting what we need to perform our role as Australia’s national statistics agency. 

We also seek guidance from industry experts and use best practices like conducting Privacy Impact Assessments to understand the impact of our work on people’s privacy and to make sure their information is protected.

We design our data management systems and processes with specific considerations of how to protect people’s privacy and store their information securely.

We seek up-to-date advice and guidance about cyber security from the Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD) Australian Cyber Security Centre, industry partners and other experts.

We use industry best practices like storing data on Australian-based cloud infrastructure, using the Five Safes Framework, and accrediting our digital infrastructure with the Information Security Registered Assessors Program (IRAP).

We know that scammers often pretend to be from trusted government organisations, like the ABS, and we work with ScamWatch to warn the Australian public when we’re aware of scammers in the community impersonating us. 

We have guidelines and information about current scams and how to recognise genuine ABS contact available.

If you suspect you are being targeted by a scam, record as much information as you can about the suspicious interaction, then contact us and we will work with you to verify that information.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) release is our headline measure of inflation, which presents the change in prices as a percentage (as opposed to dollars). 

The CPI measures the change in the prices for a range of household goods and services, which are grouped into ‘basket’ made up of 11 categories:

• Food and non-alcoholic beverages
• Alcohol and tobacco
• Clothing and footwear
• Housing
• Furnishings, household equipment and services
• Health
• Transport
• Communication
• Recreation and culture
• Education
• Insurance and financial services

Visit our Price collection page to find more information about each category, like what’s included and how we collect the relevant data.

The Labour Force, Australia release contains our headline estimate of employment and unemployment, and is supported by a range of other labour-related datasets, like job counts, earnings, and industry breakdowns. 

Our Guide to labour statistics can help you find the right dataset for your stories or research, like our Gender pay gap and Regional labour market guides. 

Our Labour Force Survey is part of our Monthly Population Survey, and uses a representative sample of 24,000 household to generate national, state, territory, and regional level estimates.

The Overseas Migration and National, state and territory population releases present our statistics on international migration, including our Net Overseas Migration (NOM) estimates. 

Our method of estimating migration is informed by the concept of ‘usual residence’ and the 12/16 month rule, which counts a person as an international migrant if they stay in Australia for at least 12 of the first 16 months after their arrival.

Please note, our Overseas Arrivals and Departures (OAD) data counts international border crossings, not people, and should not be used as a measure of overseas migration.

Our International Trade in Goods release includes links to where you can find the value of imported and exported commodities to the three-digit SITC level (Standard International Trade Classification, Revision 4). 

We also have our Balance of Payments and International Investment Position release, which has an overview of our current accounts and transactions in relation to international trade. 

All our international trade data shows the value of goods and services traded (in Australian dollars), not in amounts or volumes.

Our building and construction statistics show a range of measures, like dwelling approvals, construction activity, and work done, with both value and volume figures. 

Our Building Approvals release is the most frequently updated construction data, showing the number and price of buildings approved for construction, by sector and dwelling type. 

Our Census homelessness estimates and housing statistics are updated every five years, as is our Administrative data snapshot of housing which has residency and recent use figures.

Our range of crime and justice statistics provide information about criminal offenders, experiences of crime, and court and legal data from a range of sources, including administrative and survey data.

Our Recorded Crime - Victims and Recorded Crime - Offenders releases for example, present national, state and territory statistics about a range of offenses from police recorded data. 

Our Personal Safety Survey asks people aged 18+ about sensitive experiences of violence, including physical and sexual assault, emotional and economic abuse, stalking and harassment, and presents national prevalence rates and changes over time.  

We thank everyone that has shared the information about confronting and upsetting experiences, our survey data follows the ABS Privacy policy that prevents anyone being identified from our products.

Our National, state and territory population (NSTP) release shows our Estimated Resident Population (ERP), which balances natural increase (Births minus Deaths) and net overseas migration.

Our ERP uses the Census population count as a base, which is updated every 5 years, then calculates quarterly updates using natural increase, overseas and interstate migration.

We also have a Population clock that shows our current projected population, and other population breakdowns like Regional population and Population by country of birth.

Our General Social Survey (GSS) results are updated every five years, with data on topics like wellbeing, trust and social interaction.  It’s also the leading contributor to our Measuring What Matters dashboard – a wellbeing framework that tracks our progress towards a more healthy, secure, sustainable, cohesive and prosperous Australia. 

Our People and community statistics include our Gender indicators dashboard, Marriages and Divorces release, and How Australians use their time release.

Take note of the sources we use for our social statistics, as some are from surveys (like the GSS) while others are from administrative sources (like Marriages and Divorces).

Our National Health Survey results give an overview of Australia’s health behaviours, conditions and risk factors. 

The wide range of data from the National Health Survey is often broken up into specific statistical releases, like Physical Activity, Alcohol consumption, and Smoking and vaping. 

Our Causes of Death release holds national mortality statistics, while more specific topics are covered by releases like Deaths due to acute respiratory infections and Intentional self-harm (suicide). 

These statistics can be distressing, please use crisis support services and the Mindframe guidelines when reporting on these topics.