IN BRIEF
- Information collected during the 2026 Census on Tuesday 11 August is confidential and protected under law.
- Names and addresses cannot be shared beyond the ABS under any circumstances.
On Census night, Australians will be asked to provide personal information — including their name and address — to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
These details remain confidential and cannot be shared with police, registered migration agents or any government department.
Jenny Telford, general manager of the Census and Population division at the ABS, said keeping people's data safe and private was "absolutely critical".
"The ABS has lots of protections, including legal protections, that mean we can never release information in any way that can identify an individual or a household," she told SBS News.
"When you complete that Census form, your name and address are kind of separated away from all of the other answers on the form really early in our process, and we also make commitments that we adhere to to destroy names and addresses once we've processed the Census and produced the statistics that ... Australia needs."
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Who can access Census information?
Since 1911, names and addresses have been collected as part of the national Census of Population and Housing.
The ABS reports collecting this information improves the "accuracy and efficiency of data linkage" and the quality of statistics.
The agency also states people's addresses are collected to:
- Produce accurate population estimates for regions
- Ensure that no household is missed in the Census
- Provide insights into internal migration within Australia
After the Census processing period is complete, no-one working with Census data is able to view personal identifiers at the same time as survey results.
What the ABS can and cannot share
Names included in this year's Census forms will be retained for up to 18 months after the Census, until the end of February 2028. Addresses are retained for a maximum of 36 months until the end of August 2029.
People can also choose to have their information preserved for 99 years as part of the Census Time Capsule. This information is securely transferred to the National Archives of Australia, the agency responsible for collecting and preserving government documents.
Personal information cannot be accessed for any reason until 2125. If a person elects to transfer their information to the archives, this decision cannot be reversed, according to the ABS.
All ABS staff, including temporary employees, are legally bound to never release information collected during the Census. This includes staff past or present.
Penalties for sharing information collected during the Census (whether directly or indirectly) include fines of up to $26,400 and up to two years' imprisonment.
Personal information is protected under the 1905 Census and Statistics Act.
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