澳大利亚将在2026年8月11日的人口普查中首次纳入关于性别认同和性取向的问卷[1]。这一决定将为澳大利亚提供首份官方跨性别及LGBTQ人口的全国统计数据[1]。新问卷将针对16岁及以上人群收集出生时记录的性别、性别认同和性取向等信息[1]。
这项计划在劳工党内引发激烈辩论[1]。总理阿尔巴尼斯在2024年曾试图放弃该计划，但在党内反对下最终同意分别纳入性取向和性别认同问题[1]。澳大利亚统计局此前估计，约0.9%（178,900人）的16岁及以上澳大利亚人是跨性别或性别多样化人群，4.5%（910,600人）是LGBTQ人群[1]。
平等澳大利亚首席执行官安娜·布朗表示："澳大利亚统计局将掌握描绘我们社区样貌的数据，以及我们的居住地、我们面临的健康状况和一系列人口统计信息"[1]。这些数据预期将帮助政府制定针对这些群体的公共政策[1]。
Australia will include questions about gender identity and sexual orientation in its national census for the first time on August 11, 2026.[1] The new questionnaire will ask respondents about their sex recorded at birth, gender identity for those aged 16 and over, and sexual orientation for those aged 16 and over.[1]
The decision to include these questions followed intense debate within the ruling Labor Party.[1] Prime Minister Anthony Albanese initially attempted to abandon the plan in 2024, but faced internal party opposition and ultimately agreed to incorporate both sexual orientation and gender identity questions.[1] The census data will provide Australia with its first official national statistics on the transgender, cisgender, and LGBTQ populations, intended to inform public policy development for these communities.[1]
Prior to this census, the Australian Bureau of Statistics had only estimated that approximately 0.9 percent (178,900 people) of Australians aged 16 and over identify as transgender or gender diverse, and 4.5 percent (910,600 people) identify as LGBTQ.[1] Anna Brown, chief executive of Equality Australia, stated: "The Australian Bureau of Statistics will have data that paints a picture of what our community looks like, and where we live, what health conditions we face and a range of demographic information."[1]