When Australians sit down to complete the 2026 Census on Tuesday, 11 August, they will be asked to hand over some of their most personal details — including their full name and home address. For many, that raises an obvious question: just how private is that information, and who can the Australian Bureau of Statistics actually share it with?

The short answer, according to the ABS, is that your name and address are protected by law and cannot be passed on to anyone — not police, not immigration authorities, not any other government agency, under any circumstances.

Legal Protections Underpinning 2026 Census Privacy

The confidentiality of Census data is enshrined in the Census and Statistics Act 1905, one of Australia's oldest pieces of statistical legislation. Under that Act, every ABS employee — including casual and temporary staff — is legally bound to never disclose information collected during the Census, whether they are currently employed or have since left the organisation.

The penalties for breaching that obligation are significant. Anyone found sharing Census information, directly or indirectly, faces fines of up to $26,400 and up to two years in prison.

Jenny Telford, general manager of the Census and Population division at the ABS, described protecting people's data as "absolutely critical".

"The ABS has lots of protections, including legal protections, that mean we can never release information in any way that can identify an individual or a household," she said.

Telford also explained how name and address data is handled internally: "When you complete that Census form, your name and address are kind of separated away from all of the other answers on the form really early in our process, and we also make commitments that we adhere to to destroy names and addresses once we've processed the Census and produced the statistics that Australia needs."

For a broader overview of how the Census works and who is required to participate, see our 2026 Census explainer covering key dates, how to fill it out, and who must take part.

How Long Does the ABS Keep Your Personal Information?

The ABS does not hold onto names and addresses indefinitely. Under current commitments:

  • Names will be retained for up to 18 months after Census night — until the end of February 2028.
  • Addresses will be kept for a maximum of 36 months — until the end of August 2029.

Once the processing period concludes, no one working with Census data will be able to view personal identifiers at the same time as survey responses. The ABS says collecting names and addresses improves the accuracy and efficiency of data linkage, and has done so since the first national Census in 1911.

The Census Time Capsule: A 99-Year Option

Australians who want their personal Census information preserved for future generations have the option to opt into the Census Time Capsule. Under this scheme, a person's information is securely transferred to the National Archives of Australia and locked away for 99 years — meaning it cannot be accessed for any reason until 2125.

This is an irreversible decision. Once a person elects to transfer their data to the National Archives, that choice cannot be undone, according to the ABS.

What Happens If You Don't Complete the Census?

While privacy protections reassure many hesitant respondents, participation in the Census is not optional for most Australians. Completing the form is a legal requirement, and there are consequences for those who refuse or fail to do so. For more detail on who must complete the Census, when it is due, and what happens if you don't, we've covered those obligations separately.

With Census night now approaching, the ABS is urging all residents to complete their forms with confidence that the information they provide will remain strictly confidential and will never be used to identify or target any individual.