<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>New questions on sexual orientation and gender will be included on a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/census" rel="" target="" title=" Census"><span>Census</span></a><span> test sent to thousands of Aussies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia's next Census will be held in 2026, but the Census test will take place next month for some areas.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ABS said it will include the planned questions to collect information on sexual orientation and gender from over 16s.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anthony-albanese-china-trip-prime-minister-to-meet-with-xi-jinping/6fa824e0-8eaf-4487-8476-3772a8ad4eb6" target="_blank"><strong><span>$120 billion export on the table for Albanese's China visit</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Census bosses say they will also update the question on sex to collect 'sex recorded at birth', and update response categories.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The household and family section questions will be updated "to introduce non-gendered terms to be more inclusive," it said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The ABS will ask two questions to collect data on the new topic," the ABS said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/census-australia-sex-gender-questions/a9f055c2-8555-4c30-9817-cd6dd1419b4c" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/jeffrey-epstein-investigation-donald-trump-defends-pam-bondi-amid-maga-fallout-over-her-handling-of-case/df507d36-2104-435f-be54-22d4297271d4" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump attacks his own 'selfish' MAGA base over Epstein memo</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These questions will be included in a large-scale Census Test due to take place in August 2025.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The ABS will consider test outcomes and will make minor refinements to the question designs if required."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Around 60,000 households have been chosen to take part in the test.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/small-plane-crashes-london-southend-airport/9c41bd43-ae0f-4b55-992f-f3cb007fb99f" target="_blank"><strong><span>'Fireball' after plane crashes at London airport</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They are in Rockhampton, Gladstone and Yeppoon in Queensland, Melbourne in Victoria, Perth, Albany and the Wheatbelt region in Western Australia and Coonamble and Gilgandra New South Wales.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Census General Manager, Jenny Telford, said the test is an essential part of the ABS' preparations to ensure the 2026 Census runs smoothly.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We are testing our collection processes and IT systems to ensure our processes work well and that the form captures the right information, in the right way," Telford said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ABS is also partnering with Services Australia to test a new option to access the Census through myGov online.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/western-australia-two-new-public-holidays-when-are-they/11caa855-dcd5-43c6-baae-461cd0dbe189" target="_blank"><strong><span>One Aussie state looks to add two new public holidays</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You can complete your form as soon as you receive your instructions if you know who will be home on Census Test night, Tuesday 5 August 2025," Telford said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>LGBTIQ+ advocates have called on the government to include questions about sexuality in the 2026 Census.</span></div></div>