Census night is Tuesday 11 August 2026. 

From late July 2026, households will receive instructions on how to complete the Census. You can complete the Census as soon as you get your instructions, if you know where you’ll be on Census night.    

Most households will get a letter with instructions to complete the Census online. If you get instructions to complete online but would prefer a paper form, you’ll be able to request one. 

Some households will get a paper form. Once completed, return it using the Reply Paid envelope provided. There are instructions on the form if you would prefer to complete it online. 

Some people living in remote areas and people experiencing homelessness will have help to complete their Census from one of our Census field staff.

You need to complete the Census wherever you are staying on Census night.  

If you’ve subscribed to get Census updates through myGov, you’ll get a message sent to your myGov Inbox when it’s time to complete the Census. Use the link in this message to access and complete the Census online form for your household.

myGov is just one way for your household to access the 2026 Census. If you get a letter or paper form and you've subscribed through myGov, please complete the Census in your preferred way.

If you’re filling out the Census form for your household, you should include everyone who’ll spend the night at your home on Census night, Tuesday 11 August 2026. This includes: 

• yourself
• your spouse/partner
• adult family members (including adult children, parents, siblings and extended family members)
• babies, children and teenagers 
• unrelated housemates, flat mates or boarders 
• visitors or friends who spend Census night, including international visitors, visa holders, permanent residents and those with no fixed address 
• people who usually live at this dwelling who will return on Wednesday 12 August 2026 and will not be included on a form elsewhere (for example, shift workers at work on Census night).

If you want to fill in your Census separately from your household, you’ll be able to call the Census Contact Centre to request a Census number to complete online or get a paper form.

To complete your Census form you’ll need to know:

• who'll spend the night in your household on Census night, Tuesday 11 August 2026 
• who usually lives in your household but will be away on Census night.

For everyone in your household on Census night, you’ll need to know:

• name, sex recorded at birth, date of birth and age, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status
• current address and addresses for one year and five years ago
• current marital status
• country of birth, citizenship, ancestry, religion, languages used, countries of birth of parents and year of arrival in Australia (if applicable)
• if they need assistance with self-care, body movement or communication activities
• if they have a long-term health condition
• education and qualifications (for people aged 15 years and older)
• work (paid and unpaid) and total personal income
• if they have served in the Australian Defence Force.

You’ll also be asked the following questions for everyone in your household aged 16 years and older. You can choose to select ‘prefer not to answer’ for these questions: 

• gender
• sexual orientation.

There are questions about the dwelling itself, the number of registered motor vehicles at the dwelling and how much you spend on your rent or mortgage.

We also ask a few questions about any people who would normally be in your household but will be away on Census night.

For more information about how to answer questions in the Census, why we ask each question and how data on these topics can help inform important decisions and services, go to About the Census questions.

If you need assistance to complete your form, there are help and support options available.

The Census is compulsory under the Census and Statistics Act 1905. Everyone in Australia on Tuesday 11 August 2026, including Norfolk Island, and the Territories of Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island, must be included on a Census form.

Your participation in the Census is important. The Census helps inform decisions about transport, schools, health care, infrastructure and business. It also helps plan local services for individuals, families and communities. 

After Census night, we’ll follow up with households that haven't completed a Census form. While we aim to get everyone to participate in the Census voluntarily, you can be directed in writing to complete the Census under the Census and Statistics Act 1905. If you do not complete the Census when directed, you can be prosecuted and fined up to $330 a day (subject to indexation on 1 July 2026). It is also an offence to knowingly provide false or misleading statements or information