Count Us In Study
The Census is a national survey of all households in Australia held every five years. The 2026 Census will, for the first time, ask participants aged 16 and over about their gender and sexual orientation. The government uses Census data to plan services, allocate funding, and make policy decisions. Accurate data is essential to make sure LGBTQ+ people are counted and to ensure LGBTQ+ communities receive fair support and resources. If the Census questions don’t reflect how people identify, or if people feel unsafe answering, LGBTQ+ communities risk being undercounted and underfunded.
The project will run a national survey of LGBTQ+ people living in Australia and parents, carers or responsible adults of LGBTQ+ people that they live with and care for. Count Us In wants to understand how LGBTQ+ people and their households will respond to the Census questions, and how things like privacy, disclosure, or someone else filling out the Census might affect answers.
Recruitment is expected to open in late 2025 or early 2026.
This study is an anonymous, online, national, cross-sectional survey of LGBTQ+ people and their households.
The results of this study will give insight into how LGBTQ+ people and their households are likely to respond to the 2026 Census questions on gender and sexual orientation. This will help improve how LGBTQ+ data is collected and interpreted in the Census, which informs government policy, funding, and services.
Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney; Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University; University of Sydney
This study is supported through internal resources provided by the investigator team. No external funding has been received.
