Who needs to complete the 2026 Census — and what happens if you don't?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducts a Census of Population and Housing every five years to gather what officials describe as a snapshot of the nation.It includes up to 66 questions spanning a person's ancestry, religious affiliation, sex recorded at birth and even how they commuted to work that day.The last Census was held on 10 August 2021.Emily Walter, a Census national spokesperson at the ABS, said many people will be completing the Census for the first time."There's a lot of Australians who won't have done a Census before, and this is really important to make sure that people are aware and understand what a Census is, and why it's important," she told SBS Urdu.From late July, households will receive instructions on how to complete the Census If a person is travelling within Australia on 11 August, they are still expected to complete the Census