Australians aged 16 and over are being asked optional questions about their sexual orientation and gender for the first time in the country’s census, after the Labor government reversed an earlier decision to exclude them.The 66-question census, held on Tuesday, allows respondents to identify their sexual orientation as straight, gay or lesbian, bisexual, don’t know, prefer not to answer, or provide another term. A separate question asks about sex recorded at birth, while people aged 16 and over are also asked about their current gender.Respondents can select man, woman, non-binary, another term or prefer not to answer. Religion, which has been included in every Australian census since 1911, also remains an optional question.
Labor reverses census decision
The Labor government had pledged before its 2022 election victory to collect data on sexuality and gender. However, it decided in 2024 not to include the questions, citing concerns over social cohesion.The decision triggered criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates and some Labor lawmakers. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said in August 2024 that the government wanted to avoid a divisive public debate.Two days later, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that a sexual-orientation question would be included.The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), which determines the wording and layout of census questions, said consultations showed considerable interest in collecting gender and sexual-orientation data.ABS chief statistician David Gruen said the questions were made optional because while some people considered the information important, others did not want to disclose it.
Other countries already collect data
Australia joins several countries that have introduced similar census questions. England and Wales included voluntary questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in their 2021 census, while New Zealand introduced questions on gender and sexual identity in 2023.Canada has also added a sexual-orientation question to its 2026 long-form census.The 2020 US census asked respondents to identify their sex as male or female but did not directly ask about sexual orientation. It did, however, include separate relationship categories for same-sex spouses and same-sex unmarried partners.
More than 5 million forms received
Australians who knew where they would be on census night could complete their forms after receiving instructions. Paper forms are available on request, while field staff assist homeless people and residents of remote areas.People who fail to comply with a written direction to complete the census can face a fine of up to A$364 ($257) for each day of non-compliance.By Tuesday morning, the ABS had received more than 5 million completed forms and expects nearly 11 million overall. About 85% of forms are projected to be completed online, compared with 79% in 2021, when lockdowns affected more than half of Australia’s population.Australian National University demographer Liz Allen said the census could go further by asking whether respondents are intersex, referring to people born with chromosomal, hormonal or anatomical traits that do not fit typical male or female definitions.
