Australia Census Makes History With First-Ever Sexuality, Gender Questions

Australia’s five-yearly census has, for the first time, included optional questions on sexual orientation and gender identity, marking a significant change in how the country collects demographic information.

The 2026 Census, held on Tuesday, August 11, contains 66 questions and is the first census conducted under a Labor government since 2011. The new questions are open to Australians aged 16 and above and allow respondents to voluntarily identify their sexual orientation and whether their gender differs from that recorded at birth.

For sexual orientation, respondents can select straight, gay or lesbian, bisexual, don't know, or prefer not to answer. They can also enter another term of their choice. The gender question offers options including man, woman and nonbinary, along with the choice to decline or provide another description.

The questions were the subject of a political controversy after the Labor government initially decided in 2024 not to introduce them, citing concerns over social cohesion. The decision triggered criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates and some Labor lawmakers. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese subsequently confirmed that a sexual-orientation question would be included in the census.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Chief Statistician David Gruen said public consultations showed substantial interest in collecting information on gender and sexual orientation. He noted that while the information was important to some sections of the population, others preferred not to disclose it, prompting the decision to make the questions optional.

Demographer Liz Allen said Australia had lagged behind countries such as Britain, New Zealand and Canada, which have already introduced similar questions in their national censuses.

More than 5 million census forms had been submitted by Tuesday morning, with the ABS expecting about 11 million forms to be completed. Around 85% of responses are expected to be submitted online.