The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) expects to count twenty-four million people from more than two hundred countries speaking over three hundred languages.
Run every five years, the census identifies key characteristics of the population to help plan for the countrys future.
The Census of Population and Housing, or census, has been conducted since 1911 to provide a snapshot of Australia.
Its managed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The census is a compulsory survey involving residents of all dwellings on census night.
The most accurate way to survey the country is to ensure every person on any given night is counted.
This means tourists and international students here on August 9 are also included.
Respondents must answer every question on the census form except the one about religion.
And this year most people will complete it online.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics says an increasing number of users have expressed a desire to fill out the census online since it went digital in 2006.
Most households will receive a digital access code in a letter in mail in early August.
People can also request a paper census form by ringing the helpline.
Those who need assistance in language can receive help to fill out their census forms or access a free language helpline.
Its mandatory for all Australian residents and visitors to fill out the Census on August 9 - failing to do so could result in large fines up to $180 a day.
After August 9, Census Field Officers will visit households that havent completed the Census.
