Every person in Australia — citizen, visitor, tourist or newborn — is legally required to complete the 2026 Census of Population and Housing on Tuesday, 11 August. Run by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and held every five years, the Census captures a comprehensive snapshot of who Australians are, how they live, and where resources need to go. Missing it, or deliberately providing false answers, carries a financial penalty of up to $3,640.
Who must complete the 2026 Census?
The rules are straightforward and broad: if you are physically in Australia on the night of 11 August, you must be counted. The ABS has confirmed this includes international tourists, temporary visa holders, international students, fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers, babies, and defence personnel. There are no exceptions based on how long someone has been in the country or how long they intend to stay.
Generally, one person per household completes the form on behalf of everyone living or staying there. International visitors in hotels and motels can access paper forms on site, while those in short-term rental accommodation such as Airbnb properties can complete it online. ABS field staff will drop off forms at caravan parks, camp grounds and remote communities ahead of Census night.
People travelling within Australia on 11 August — including those at mining camps or offshore — are still required to participate. Employers and accommodation providers will distribute and collect forms, or individuals can complete the Census online in advance, provided they know where they will be that night. The only people exempt are those who are overseas on Census night; they can notify the ABS directly.
Field staff will also collect information from people in hospital, those experiencing homelessness, and individuals in police custody on the night. For those in immigration detention centres and correctional facilities, the ABS receives administrative data that provides the required Census details.
How to complete the Census — and what it asks
The ABS is taking a digital-first approach in 2026. From 29 July, most households will begin receiving instructions by mail on how to complete the Census online. More than 83 per cent of forms were submitted digitally in 2021, and the ABS expects that figure to climb to around 85 per cent this year. Paper forms remain available for those who prefer them or lack reliable internet access. More than 30,000 ABS field officers — identifiable by their photo IDs and bright yellow satchels — are already visiting communities across the country to distribute forms and offer guidance.
The questionnaire covers up to 66 questions across nine topic areas, including name, date of birth, marital status, country of birth, ancestry, occupation and income. The 2026 Census introduces new questions on gender identity and sexual orientation for people aged 16 and over, alongside the standard question on sex recorded at birth. A "prefer not to answer" option is included for both new questions. Religious affiliation is also asked, a question with a colourful history — when the very first Census in Australia was held in 1911, 32 respondents listed their religion as "Wowser" and 21 as "Angelic". By 2011, more than 64,000 people had nominated "Jedi".
The questionnaire must be completed in English, but support is available. Information about the Census is published on the ABS website in 26 different languages, and the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) can connect people with interpreters across more than 150 languages.
Why the Census matters — and why privacy concerns shouldn't stop you
The data gathered on Census night is used to direct the allocation of billions of dollars in Commonwealth funding for schools, hospitals, transport infrastructure and community services. The last Census, held on 10 August 2021, counted 25.4 million respondents.
Peter Doukas, chair of the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA), has urged people from all backgrounds — including migrants, refugees and those on temporary visas — to participate without fear. He emphasised that the Census is strictly apolitical, and has been conducted continuously since 1911 regardless of which party holds government.
"It's not [about] taking a political side … it's also not allowing the cynicism of government to get in the way of the important role that the ABS holds in collecting accurate demographic data about what makes up Australia," Doukas said.
He also addressed concerns about personal privacy, stressing that participants are not handing over information that could be used against them. Confidential details such as names and addresses cannot be accessed by police or immigration agents — an important assurance for communities that may be wary of government data collection.
The ABS reinforces that every response matters. Under-counting particular communities can skew funding decisions and leave service gaps for years. With Census night now weeks away, Australians are encouraged to look out for their online access code in the mail and set aside time to complete the form before or on 11 August.
