The 2026 Australian Census: Everything you need to know

On the 11th of August, 2026, Australians—including international students, temporary visa holders and tourists—will be required by law to fill out a 66-question survey. It’s called the census.

What’s the point of the census?

First conducted in 1911, the census provides a comprehensive snapshot of Australia which “helps us understand what we need now, and into the future,” states the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Speaking to The Guardian, national census spokesperson Emily Walter said, 

“In order to effectively serve a community in terms of what it needs to exist, you need to know how many people there are, who they are and where they are.”

Who needs to fill out the census, how do I fill out the census and do I need to be at home?

Under the Census and Statistics Act of 1905, the census is compulsory for every single person in Australia on the 11th of August, 2026. 

No one is exempt from filling out the census. This includes citizens and permanent residents, international students, temporary visa holders, citizens of Norfolk Island, citizens of the Territories of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, citizens of Christmas Island, and tourists.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) most households should receive a letter with instructions to complete the census online. 

One person in a household should fill out the census for everyone who resides in the dwelling at the time of the census—including visitors. 

If you are staying in a hotel, motel, on a boat in a marina, at a popular Australian tourist spot or in any other form of accommodation other than your home (including on-campus accommodation), accommodation staff should provide you with a census form.

If you are staying in a remote area, on a boat in an Australian waterway, staying at short-term accommodation (Airbnb or Stayz), or you are homeless, you can seek out one of the 30,000 ABS field staff deployed across Australia for a physical form or complete the census online.

Anyone with an internet connection and an Australian mobile phone number can request a census number and complete the census online at: https://form.census.abs.gov.au/get-census-number 

What kind of questions are on the census? 

The census’ questions will require personal details, including but not limited to: name, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, country of birth, and personal income. 

There are also questions about your place of residence,  the number of motor vehicles at your dwelling, and how much you spend on your rent or mortgage. 

How private is census data?

During the processing of census data, names and addresses are detached and stored separately from the rest of your census data.

Individuals’ names are retained for up to 18 months before being deleted or destroyed. Addresses are retained for up to 36 months before they are deleted or destroyed. 

Direct information from census forms is never shared with the government or any private company. 

Census data is protected under the Census and Statistics Act of 1905, the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act of 1975, the Privacy Act, and the Archives Act 1983. This group of legislation protects your data in a number of ways, including making it an offence to reveal any direct information related to or collected by the census. 

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is not used in the processing of census data. 

However, generative AI is used by the ABS for a chatbot on the census website and used internally to summarise meeting notes and review documents, according to the ABS AI transparency statement.

What are the penalties for not completing the census or providing false information?

Individuals who knowingly provide false or misleading information on their census form can face fines up to $3,640. 

Those who do not complete the census on the 11th of August will be contacted with directions to complete the census. 

Those who continue to leave the census uncompleted could be prosecuted and fined up to $354 a day until completion.