- Australians will be asked about their sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time in the 2026 national census.
- The mandatory census of nearly 28 million people determines how federal and state governments allocate funding for healthcare, education, and transport over the next five years.
- Everyone aged 16 and above will answer questions on sexual orientation, gender, and sex recorded at birth, while gendered wording has been removed from family relationship questions.
- Demographers have described the update as the most significant change to the census since Indigenous status was introduced more than 50 years ago.
- The policy change follows a 2022 human rights complaint by Equality Australia, highlighting the need for LGBTQ+ representation in national service planning.
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