ABS testing topics for the 2026 Census
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has published outcomes from public consultation on topics for the 2026 Census. Five new topics and changes to 12 existing topics are shortlisted for development and testing.
Georgia Chapman, Director 2026 Census Content said, “The Census provides some of Australia’s most valuable statistics, and it’s important that it reflects our contemporary society and captures emerging data needs.
“The ABS expanded the opportunity for public input to the 2026 Census content with two phases of consultation. Our aim was to give everyone in Australia an opportunity to provide feedback and help the ABS understand impacts of proposed changes.
“We considered over 1,000 pieces of feedback during the consultations, across a diverse range of themes. The changes shortlisted cover a range of topics including increasing our understanding of cultural diversity and LGBTIQ+ populations, to expanding information on work, study and long-term health conditions.
“We have assessed the community benefit of changes against the cost and complexity of collecting the data.”
In mid-2024 the ABS will make a recommendation to Government on topics for the next Census. The changes being tested will not necessarily all be included in the 2026 Census. The final decision on 2026 Census topics will be made by the Government.
This concludes the public consultation phase of the 2026 Census topic review process. The ABS thanks all individuals and organisations who provided feedback, and for Australia’s ongoing support of the Census.
Further information on the topic review process can be found in 2026 Census topic review: Phase two directions.
Table 1: New topics under consideration
| Theme | Topic |
|---|---|
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural identity |
| Location | Main reason for moving in last 12 months |
| Population | Gender |
| Sexual orientation | |
| Variations of sex characteristics |
Table 2: Proposed changes under consideration
| Theme | Topic | Proposed change |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural diversity | Ancestry | Increase the number of ancestries collected from two to four to better reflect cultural diversity. |
| Country of birth of parents | Update the question design to be more inclusive. Remove gendered language. | |
| Religious affiliation | Update the question design to support more accurate data collection. | |
| Education and training | Attendance at an educational institution | Update response categories to count the number of children who are home schooled. |
| Health | Long-term health conditions | Update response categories to include ‘liver disease’ and ‘migraine’ to collect a wider range of long-term health conditions. |
| Household and families | Household and family relationships | Update the question design to collect more diverse family structures and update to gender-inclusive language. |
| Marital status | Update to collect de facto relationship status in this topic (in addition to the Household and family relationship topic). | |
| Persons temporarily absent on Census night | Asking questions on new Census topics will be considered once the topics recommended to Government are determined. | |
| Income and work | Industry of employment | Update question wording to improve alignment with the Labour Force Survey. |
| Labour force status | Update question wording and response categories to improve alignment with the Labour Force Survey. | |
| Population | Sex | Update question to specifically collect sex recorded at birth and update response categories to improve data quality. |
| Transport | Mode of travel to work | Update response categories to include more contemporary modes of travel. |
Table 3: Status of existing topics being considered for removal
| Theme | Topic | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Income and work | Income | Under consideration. Assessing replacing the topic with administrative data in Census outputs. |
| Population | Number of children ever born | Will be recommended to return to a decennial collection with removal for 2026 Census. |
| Transport | Number of motor vehicles | Under consideration. Investigating impact of removal of topic. |
| Unpaid work and care | Unpaid work – domestic activities | Under consideration. Investigating impact of removal of topic. |
Media notes
- The final direction for these topics will consider consultation feedback and the relative priority of each topic against other content changes being considered for the 2026 Census.
- Further information on proposed changes, including feedback received through the consultation, is available in the 2026 Census topic review: Phase two directions publication.
- For media requests and interviews, contact the ABS Media Team via media@abs.gov.au (8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri).
- Further information on 2026 Census topic consultation is available on the ABS website and on the Census Media Hub.
- For updates about the process, subscribe at www.subscribe.abs.gov.au/2026Census.