Sex, Gender And Identity Questions Will Be Included In The Next Australian Census
After decades of being statistically invisible, LGBTQIA+ Australians will be counted in the 2026 Census for the first time. Here’s why ticking a box has never mattered more.
Come August 11, 2026, two little questions on a government form will do what no amount of Mardi Gras confetti or progress flag merchandise ever could: officially prove that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and gender-diverse Australians exist.
For the first time in the nation’s 115-year census history, the Australian Bureau of Statistics will ask people aged 16 and over about their sexual orientation and gender identity. It sounds almost absurdly basic. But in a country where census data determines everything from hospital funding to electoral boundaries, being absent from that count has real consequences.
“We still know so little about LGBTQ+ Australia because the 2021 Census failed to meaningfully count people of diverse sexualities and genders, and our families,” says Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown. “Hundreds of thousands of people have been rendered invisible or misrepresented in national data sets.”
Translation: without the numbers, governments can’t properly fund the services that LGBTQIA+ communities need. And those needs are significant. Research shows young people from LGBTIQ+ communities are approximately five times more likely to have attempted suicide than the general population. But try getting targeted mental health funding when you can’t even prove where your community lives.
The Backstory (It’s Messy)
Getting here wasn’t straightforward. In 2023, the ABS issued a statement of regret for failing to consult with or count LGBTQIA+ people in the 2021 census, acknowledging that the lack of questions meant the community “felt invisible and excluded.”
Then came 2024, when the Albanese government initially decided not to include the questions, in what frontbenchers described as a strategy to avoid “divisive debates.” The backlash was swift. Community organisations, the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, and tens of thousands of petition signatories pushed back. Treasurer Jim Chalmers eventually announced the reversal, calling it “the sensible, pragmatic and moral course of action.”
Australia isn’t exactly leading the charge here. The UK included voluntary questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in 2021, Scotland followed in 2022, and New Zealand in 2023. But better late than invisible.
What You’ll Be Asked
The sexual orientation question will ask how you describe your sexuality or attraction, with tick-box options including straight, gay or lesbian, and bisexual, plus space to specify another term. Both questions include a “prefer not to answer” option.
The gender question sits alongside the existing sex recorded at birth question, allowing respondents to report their gender identity through tick-box options or through self-description.
Worth noting: these questions will only be asked of people aged 16 and over, and they’re voluntary. Nobody’s going to kick down your door if you skip them.
Why Your Tick Matters
“Our communities live in every corner of the country, contributing in countless ways,” says Brown. “Just imagine the insights and opportunities that will emerge when we finally have more accurate and meaningful data in 2027.”
Primary Health Networks rely on census data to inform how they invest in health services. Without accurate LGBTIQ+ data, they simply cannot meet the community’s needs. That GP who’s trained on queer-specific health issues? That regional sexual health clinic? That youth mental health program? All of it flows from data.
“In 2027, we will finally have a more complete picture of who we are as a nation, including where LGBTQ+ adults live, what our jobs are, our health issues, where we go to school and what our families look like,” Brown adds.
How Not to Disappear
Consider this your gentle nudge:
Mark your calendar. Census night is Tuesday, August 11, 2026. Most households will receive instructions in the mail with details on how to complete it online.
Know who’s filling out the form. If you’re in a share house, one person usually completes the census for everyone home that night. Make sure whoever’s holding the pen actually includes you, and includes you accurately.
Actually answer the questions. Yes, they’re voluntary. But if you’re out and comfortable, your tick contributes to the collective picture. Current ABS estimates suggest about 3.6% of Australians are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or use a different term to describe their sexual orientation. Imagine what more accurate data could show.
Don’t procrastinate. The Census and Statistics Act establishes penalties of $222 per day for households that fail to complete the census after receiving a formal notice. Getting counted shouldn’t cost you.
The Bigger Picture
Australia will get its first official overview of the LGBTQIA+ community when the data is released in June 2027. That’s not just a statistical milestone. It’s the foundation for every policy discussion, every funding decision, and every service plan for years to come.
Being counted isn’t just administrative box-ticking. It’s evidence. It’s proof of existence in the language that governments actually respond to: numbers.
So when that census form arrives next August, take the two minutes. Answer the questions. Make sure the people you live with answer them too.
Because after 115 years, it’d be nice to officially show up.
