ABS reveals changes to census questions following backlash over missing topics for gender and sexuality

Changes to the 2026 census have been revealed, including the re-inclusion of specific questions about someone’s gender and sexuality.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released the changes to its 2026 census questions after immense backlash over the removal of prompts regarding gender and sexuality.

Monday’s announcement confirmed the census would ask questions about sexual orientation and gender for people aged 16 years and over in addition to an existing question about the respondent’s “sex recorded at birth”.

While the specific wording has yet to be finalised, it’s understood responses to both questions will be voluntary, and people can decline to answer.

The 2026 nationwide survey will also “introduce non-gendered terms” to describe household and family relationships however will not include “de facto relationship status” as a response to a question about marital status.

The ABS has revealed the questions that will be changed in the upcoming 2026 census. Picture: NewsWire/ Nikki Short

As it stands, people can chose between married in a de facto marriage, married in a registered marriage, not married, not applicable and overseas visitor.

People will be able to nominate using an “e-bike” as a mode of travel to work for the first time in a move the ABS says reflects “more contemporary modes of travel”.

Questions about someone’s parents’ country of birth will also be updated to be “more inclusive” and the number of ancestries will be increased from two to four to “better reflect cultural diversity”.

Questions on long-term health conditions will also include a category for liver disease; however, migraines will be excluded.

2026 Census Content director Georgia Chapman said the ABS considered more than 1000 pieces of feedback and would finalise the questions in the “second half of 2025” following further large-scale testing.

“The census provides some of Australia’s most valuable statistics, and it’s important that it reflects our contemporary society and captures emerging data needs,” she said.

In August last year, the government was forced to backflip on its decision to remove questions on topics probing someone’s sexual orientation and gender despite the ABS issuing a “statement of regret” in 2023 following missing topics in the 2021 census.

Anthony Albanese had also promised the questions would be included in the lead up to the 2022 election after it was scrapped by then-prime minister Scott Morrison.

Equality Australia chief executive Anna Brown accused the Labor government of having “betrayed LGBTIQ+ people in Australia”.

“Our communities will continue to feel invisible and demeaned because the federal government hasn’t taken this opportunity to finally reflect the diversity of Australia and gather crucial information about the kinds of services people need,” she said at the time.