Australian Bureau of Statistics asks public to suggest questions for next census

The public is being invited to submit questions that could be included on the next census in 2026.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is reviewing whether new topics should be included in the upcoming 2026 census and is calling for submissions from the public.

The ABS will collate submissions from the public to aid in their recommendation to the federal government on what should be included in the next census.

“The ABS wants to understand what information is needed but not currently collected by the ABS,” the organisation said in a statement.

Submissions will be considered on whether the topic is of “current national importance”, whether there is need for data at a national level or for a local level, and whether there is “likely to be a continuing need for data on the topic”.

Questions are regularly added to the Census to find out more about the Australian population. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Two new questions were added to the 2021 census including whether a person had been told they had a long-term health condition or if they had ever served in the Australian Defence Force.

LGBTQIA+ groups have called for more questions on gender and sexually diverse Australians in the Census

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia chief executive Nicky Bath said Australians remained “in the dark” on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and other gender diverse people.

“Had appropriate questions been included in the 2021 census, today we would have access to a whole range of data that we urgently need to be able to better respond to the health disparities that LGBTIQ+ people live with,” she said in 2022.

LGBTQIA+ groups have urged questions on gender and sexually diverse Australian to be included in the next census. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

The census allowed respondents to select from three response options for the question of sex for the first time in 2021, with Australians choosing from male, female and non-binary sex.

The question focused on sex, the biological sex characteristics of a person including their chromosomes, hormones and reproductive organs, rather than gender, which is how a person identifies.

“We cannot change the past, we can change the future and today I call on the federal government to ensure that in 2027 when the data is released from the 2026 census that the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Statistics Standard for Sex, Gender, Variation of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables, 2020 (2020 Standard) is included,” Ms Bath said.

Submissions opened on Monday and will remain close on April 28.