Australia's national census, conducted every five years, now includes optional questions on gender identity and sexual orientation for individuals aged 16 and older. This development, occurring in the first census under a center-left Labor Party government since 2011, allows respondents to disclose their sexual orientation and whether they identify with a different gender than the one recorded at birth.
The census, held on Tuesday, Aug. 11, offers answer options for sexual orientation including straight, gay or lesbian, bisexual, don't know, prefer not to answer, or a custom term. For gender identity, options include man, woman, nonbinary, prefer not to answer, or another term that can be provided by the respondent. These questions, along with one on religion, are optional.
The inclusion of these questions represents a departure from previous years. While the Labor Party had pledged to include questions on sexuality and gender during its 2022 election campaign, a decision in 2024 to omit them was made in an effort to maintain social cohesion. However, this stance was met with backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and some lawmakers, prompting a reversal.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that a question on sexual orientation would be included in the next census. This decision followed public consultations where the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) identified a substantial interest in collecting data on gender and sexual orientation. ABS Chief Statistician David Gruen noted the importance of this information for a segment of the population, while acknowledging others' preference not to share it, which informed the decision to make the questions optional.
Demographer Liz Allen pointed out that Australia has been slower to adopt such questions compared to other nations like Britain, New Zealand, and Canada, which have incorporated similar inquiries into their recent censuses. Allen suggested that the questions could be expanded to include inquiries about intersex status.
In contrast, the last U.S. census in 2020 asked only about male or female gender identity and did not specifically query sexual orientation, though it allowed for the listing of same-sex relationships in the household section.
The ABS expects a high rate of online responses for the current census, with paper forms also available upon request. Field staff are assisting individuals in remote areas and those experiencing homelessness to participate. Failure to comply with census directives can result in fines.