诺福克岛将于8月11日参加澳大利亚人口普查，这是该岛十年来第三次参加普查[1]。这个面积35平方公里、人口约2100人的澳大利亚外部领土此次普查的意义远超数字统计本身[1]，涉及岛上居民的复杂身份认同问题[1]。
岛上许多居民是皮特凯恩后裔，拥有独特的文化和语言[1]。根据历次普查数据，认同皮特凯恩血统的岛民比例在波动：2011年为38.4%，2016年下降至29.6%，2021年进一步降至25.1%[1]。值得注意的是，尽管百分比下降，皮特凯恩血统人口的实际数字却从2016年的484人增至2021年的550人[1]。澳大利亚统计局为此次普查做出了新的安排，以更好地反映岛上居民的回答[1]。
诺福克岛理事会主席Nicholas Mostardo强调了此次普查的重要性，他表示："普查对诺福克很重要，它将帮助我们和英联邦政府进行资金安排、战略规划和经济能力建设"[1]。居民可于8月10日至16日期间的早上10点至下午返还纸质表格；如未按时返还，普查员将上门收集[1]。
Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia with approximately 2,100 residents across 35 square kilometers, is participating in the national census on August 11, 2024—marking its third census participation in a decade [1]. The undertaking carries significance far beyond routine demographic data collection, as it intersects with complex questions of cultural identity on an island where many inhabitants trace ancestry to the Pitcairn Islands.
The census results hold particular weight for Norfolk Island's resource allocation and planning. Nicholas Mostardo, chair of the Norfolk Island Council, emphasized that "the census is important to Norfolk, as it will help us and the Commonwealth government with funding arrangements, strategic planning, and economic capacity building" [1]. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has made special accommodations to better capture residents' responses, acknowledging the island's distinctive cultural composition. Paper forms may be returned between August 10 and 16 during morning and afternoon hours, or census collectors will conduct follow-up visits [1].
The census also reflects evolving patterns of identity on the island. Historical data shows shifts in self-identified Pitcairn descent: 38.4 percent of respondents in 2011, declining to 29.6 percent in 2016 and further to 25.1 percent in 2021 [1]. Notably, while the proportion reporting Pitcairn ancestry decreased, the absolute number identifying with this heritage grew from 484 people in 2016 to 550 in 2021 [1].