1 week Ago By Natassia Chrysanthos
Australians will be asked about their gender identity in the next census, after the Albanese government for the second time reversed its position on including new LGBT questions in the national survey. Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Sunday morning revealed the 2026 census would count transgender Australians for the first time, saying the government had listened to the LGBT community after equality advocates warned that being excluded from national data would worsen policy outcomes for minority groups. Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced the change on Sunday.
Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald Senior ministers, including Chalmers, had previously said that including questions about sexuality or gender in the next census would lead to a divisive debate. The government announced two weeks ago on August 25 it would cancel the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ plans to trial new questions that would identify sexually diverse, transgender and intersex Australians. Then, following an internal Labor revolt late last month that provoked six MPs to speak out against the decision, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there would be one new question on sexual orientation .
However, he came under fire for splitting the community by refusing to count transgender Australians. On Sunday, Chalmers said the government had again changed its position and would include questions on gender. However, he did not say that there would be questions about intersex characteristics.
“We have listened to the community,” he said on ABC’s Insiders program. “We worked very closely with the Australian Bureau of Statistics. I wanted to say how professional and diligent and sensitive the chief statistician, David Gruen, has been as we worked through these issues.
LGBTIQ+ Australians matter. They have been heard and they will count in the 2026 Census.” More to come Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later.
License this article LGBTQ Jim Chalmers Census Natassia Chrysanthos is a federal politics reporter covering Home Affairs for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. She reports on immigration, social cohesion issues and the NDIS from Parliament House in Canberra. Connect via Twitter or email .
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