ABS Sets 2027 Release Date for First-Ever LGBTQ+ Census Data
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) announced on Tuesday that the first meaningful census data concerning the nation’s LGBTQ+ population is slated for release in mid-2027.
This upcoming data release is historic, as it will be the first time the ABS has collected meaningful information about the LGBTQ+ community. The collection is set to occur during the 2026 Census, the national snapshot of the country which takes place in August.
The ABS specified on Tuesday that information collected from the 2026 Census will be released in three phases, with data for the new topic of sexual orientation and gender identity scheduled to be available in June 2027.
Comprehensive Picture Expected
The federal government committed last year to count sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time in the 2026 Census.
Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown welcomed the news, highlighting that the previous 2021 Census “failed to meaningfully count people of diverse sexualities and genders, and our families”.
Brown anticipates that the 2027 data release will provide a far more complete understanding of the nation. “In 2027 we will finally have a more complete picture of who we are as a nation,” Brown said, detailing that the data will illuminate crucial information about the LGBTQ+ population, including where adults live, their jobs, health issues, educational attendance, and family structures.
Question Details Confirmed
The ABS also provided details on the methodology for the new questions. The Census will include separate questions on sex recorded at birth and gender. The responses to these specific questions will be utilized to generate accurate data concerning trans and gender diverse populations.
The gender question itself will include multiple response options: tick-boxes, a free-text field, and a ‘prefer not to answer’ option.
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