
Customer Success Manager
The ABS is consulting on the topics to be included in the 2026 Census. Initial submissions are in, and there is now a list of suggested topics and changes for which the ABS is seeking feedback. Census expert Glenn Capuano outlines the proposed changes and how you can make your submission.
At training sessions with Local Government, I often get asked, “Who decides what’s on the Census?” As a vitally important data source for Australia, it’s a good question. The short answer is that the government of the day has the final say on Census questions. The longer version is that the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), who run the Census, provide very comprehensive guidance and recommendations on the content of the Census form. If you can convince the ABS of the importance of a Census topic, there’s a good chance it will get in there. But that’s not an easy task!
In February and March this year, the ABS consulted on Census topics as part of “Phase 1” of the 2026 Census review. It’s still 3 years away, but there’s already a lot of thought gone into this one. They took hundreds of submissions, including two from .id (informed decisions). And now they’ve just opened “Phase 2” of the topic review; that is open to September 8th, so there is still a chance to have your say. But not on everything.
Unfortunately, both our submissions in Phase 1 were rejected by ABS.
New / altered Census topic proposals open for submissions
The detail of the Phase 1 outcomes and Phase 2 consultation is located here, and well worth a read. There are a lot of topics under consideration. Most don’t need further input – they are staying on the Census from previously, or they have enough information to decide on changes – but the ABS has come up with a short-list of new topics or changes that they’d like further submissions on. If you’re interested in influencing these, now’s your chance.
The shortlist is found here, and I’ve summarised it below.
Other Census topics under consideration
There is a wide range of topics under consideration which ABS say they have enough information to consider (ie. they don’t want submissions), but that’s quite exciting with potential changes too.
Being on this second list does not mean all these will be collected. Generally a question has to go if you include a new one, unless ABS secures additional funding. But all of these are up for consideration, so there is the potential for several new questions on the Census form, and a lot of useful data to come out of it to assist in telling the story of place!
How you can contribute to the Census
You can have your say on the ABS Consultation Hub before September 8th. It’s open to everyone.
Or you can have your say here, in the comments! We’ll be putting in at least a couple of submissions on these; certainly on the retention of the motor vehicles data and maybe others. So let us know how you use the Census data and how the changes will affect you. There is likely to be quite an effect on our community profiles where the change over time is impacted. .id (informed decisions) will always work through this to provide you the best possible data source and utilize the new datasets if needed.
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