Australia’s 2026 Census Adds Gender and Sexual Orientation Questions for First Time

Australia conducted its five-yearly census on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, marking the first time the survey includes optional questions on sexual orientation and gender identity. The 66-question census covers all 10.8 million Australian households and collects data on age, employment, education, and living arrangements. The new questions apply to people aged 16 and older and allow respondents to select from predefined options or write in their own terms. Census data directly shapes government decisions on infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and social services.

Why the government reversed its earlier decision

In August 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles announced the government would not include gender and sexual orientation questions, saying “We do not want to open up divisive debates in the community now.” Within a week, LGBTQ+ advocates and some Labor lawmakers pushed back hard. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has marched in Sydney’s annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, reversed the decision two days after Marles spoke. Labor had promised these questions during its 2022 election campaign, which brought the party to power after nine years in opposition.

What respondents can answer

Sexual orientation options include straight, gay or lesbian, bisexual, don’t know, prefer not to answer, or a respondent’s own term written in a blank space. Gender identity options are man, woman, nonbinary, prefer not to answer, or another term the respondent provides. Both questions are entirely optional, like the religion question that has appeared in every census since 1911. The Australian Bureau of Statistics, which runs the census, decided the exact wording of all questions.

How census data shapes policy and services

Census data informs decisions on sewage systems, hospitals, schools, public transport, and homelessness services. The data helps governments plan infrastructure and allocate funding to regions based on population needs. Between 2016 and 2021, Australia’s average household size shrank from 2.6 to 2.5 people, creating demand for roughly one million additional dwellings despite modest population growth. The 2026 census will track whether this trend continues.

What’s new beyond gender and sexual orientation

The 2026 census includes 12 changes overall. Ancestry questions expanded from two to four response options. Religion, health, transport, and employment questions received minor updates. The sex question now reads “sex recorded at birth” instead of the previous wording. The controversial “number of children ever born” question, which had been asked every five years, will now be asked only every ten years and will reappear in 2031. Gendered language referencing household members is now more inclusive.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 census captures Australia’s evolving demographics and will guide government spending on schools, hospitals, and infrastructure for the next five years. The inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity questions provides the first national data on LGBTQ+ Australians, addressing a long-standing information gap.

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