Locating Australian Census Information

This guide provides information on how to access Australian Census data.

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This older version of the guide is no longer being updated, and will be removed on August 16 2024.

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Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

The Australian Bureau of Statistics opens in a new window (ABS) website gives you access to the full range of ABS statistical and reference information. Most of the resources on the ABS website are freely accessable.

Community Profiles

Census data is distributed amongst the 6 major Community Profiles.

  • Basic Community Profile provides basic demographic information for an area, including age, ancestry, income, education, family type and more. The data is based on place of usual residence.

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (Indigenous) Profile  provides key census characteristics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons, families and dwellings. It includes comparisons with non-Indigenous people.

  • Time Series Profile contains tables similar to those in the Basic Community Profile, comprising comparable data from the 1996, 2001 and 2006 Censuses.

  • Place of Enumeration Profile provides basic demographic information for an area, including age, ancestry, income, education, family type and more. The data is based on place of enumeration.

  • Expanded Community Profile is the most comprehensive Community Profile in the series providing extended data on key Census characteristics of persons, families and dwellings. The data is based on place of usual residence.

  • Working Population Profile provides labour force and employment characteristics of people who are employed in a particular geographic area. The data is based on place of employment.

QuickStats

QuickStats is a summary of key Census data relating to persons, families and dwellings and also contains a small textual description of the statistics contained within the tables. QuickStats is not inclusive of all Census topics, instead providing a selection of general topics and data about a chosen area. The data displayed covers a range of social, economic and demographic statistics, and includes main responses for a selection of variables.

All QuickStats include Australian data to allow users to compare results from their selected region with the Australian totals.The summary produced includes variables such as age breakdowns; a selection of birthplaces, languages and religions; employment information etc. For users interested in small geographic areas, say around 100-250 persons, QuickStats is a valuable resource.