ABS Consultation Hub

The second round of public consultation on the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG) was open for 4 weeks, from 4 to 29 August 2025. The first round of public consultation, held earlier this year, sought feedback on the scope of the review. This second round of public consultation sought feedback on the proposed changes to the classification, including any unintended impacts and the identification of any implementation issues for users of ASCCEG.

The review aims to facilitate a limited update of Cultural and Ethnic groups at the 4-digit level of the classification, to reflect cultural diversity in the Australian community. The proposed changes have been identified through stakeholder feedback, analysis of Census data over time, research and the classification criteria. The proposed changes to ASCCEG will ensure the production of high-quality data, improving data analysis and decision making. Submissions from this second round of public consultation will inform the changes made to the ASCCEG in preparation for the 2026 Census.

Eleven submissions were received from individuals and organisations. In summary, the submissions received included:

• Requests for additional stand-alone cultural and ethnic groups.
• Changes to the ASCCEG that have not been investigated in the current review.
• The need for a review of the structure of ASCCEG.
• An alternative view of some of the proposed changes to ASCCEG.

The ABS has finished assessing these submissions and finalising changes to ASCCEG. The updated version of the classification, which implements the findings from the 2025 review, will be published on the ABS website on 18 November 2025.

The ABS thanks those who have taken the time to provide feedback during the two rounds of public consultation. The ABS recognises that this is a sensitive and personal topic; and that the ABS received, through this consultation, some alternative views of the changes proposed to ASCCEG which have not been implemented.

The groups created as stand-alone, 4-digit groups through this review process meet the scope of the classification as well as the classification criteria for ASCCEG. One of these criteria is that a significant number of people in Australia identified with these groups in their responses to the ancestry question in the recent (2011, 2016 and 2021) Censuses. Where possible and in line with the classification criteria, the ABS seeks to identify stand-alone groups that support individuals to report the cultural or ethnic group that they most closely identify with.

The ABS does not propose making any additional changes to the ASCCEG at this time, outside of what was outlined in this second round of public consultation. Any feedback that has been provided, but not investigated in the current review, will be considered in the next review of ASCCEG.

Future consultation 

This was the final round of public consultation on the proposed changes to ASCCEG (2025).  Feedback on ASCCEG can be provided at any time by contacting the ABS using the email address below.

Any questions? 

Please email standards@abs.gov.au with any questions on this consultation or for further information.

In preparation for the 2026 Census, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has been reviewing the data products and outputs from the 2021 Census to ensure they meet the needs of the modern data user. In May 2025, the ABS released a paper ‘Proposed 2026 Census data products’ which communicated the recommended suite of products, based off consultation held over the preceding 18 months. 

To understand how these proposed products would meet data user needs, the ABS conducted a consultation exercise through the Consultation Hub, seeking feedback on the proposed changes. It was open for 3 weeks, to all members of the public, and respondents could be anonymous if they wished. 

Over the 3-week period, the ABS received survey submissions from 146 data users. Representation amongst the respondents covered individuals, members from all levels of government, academics, those working in community organisations as well as private enterprise. Feedback showed data users were mostly pleased by the proposed products and their enhancements, though many were concerned by the prospect of Community Profiles no longer being produced, and thus, data becoming less accessible for community groups.  

Some key points from the feedback include: 

Community Profiles 
Community Profiles have been a reliable and consistent package of geography-specific data that users have valued being able to download and share. Data users valued its standard format, and it being an accurate source of information, no matter their level of statistical skills.  

The Time Series Profile continues to be a critical product to those who rely on it, and some are concerned it won’t be retained.  

It was noted that Community Profiles is less useful to those seeking summary data, finding QuickStats more suitable, and when more complex tables were needed, Community Profiles often misses the mark by providing more cross-tabulations than necessary, resulting in data users creating custom tables in TableBuilder instead. 

TableBuilder
TableBuilder has offered data users the option to control the data they need, by way of building custom tables, but many Community Profiles users are daunted by the tool’s complexity. Some lack the confidence to accurately reproduce what is currently contained in the Community Profiles, and others point to its functionality being less user friendly, along with the expected impact on their time. 

QuickStats
QuickStats is largely considered the go-to product for many, and feedback welcomed its suite of data being expanded to cover more of what Community Profiles offered. 

The proposed enhancements which covered the Table expander, Topic filter navigation and the inclusion of visualisations were all well received, along with the sharing options, citation, embedding and download/print functionality. 

Geospatial tool
The proposed new tool through which data users can access both DataPacks and GeoPackages, with the addition of an ArcGIS map interface, was widely regarded as a positive step forward, removing the barrier for data users currently without access to mapping software, and enabling browsing tables and maps before needing to extract data.  

Some were keen to learn more about its API functionality, and general feedback showed great interest in understanding more as its development continues.  

Some data users who rely on DataPacks were unsure of it being retained and noted their desire for it to remain mostly unchanged where possible. 

In response to the feedback, we are reviewing plans for the data, the products, and their supporting materials. Respondents to the survey could opt-in for future discussions about the proposed products, and the ABS is currently engaging with some respondents, to gain practical insights into their use of Community Profiles, as well as the other products. These conversations will inform an assessment of the impact these proposed changes may have and consequently, design considerations. 

We remain committed to releasing quality data products and appreciate the time and effort users have contributed so far. The ABS plans to produce advice on final developments to the 2026 Census data products suite later this year, with the aim to spread awareness and ensure users have sufficient time to prepare for the exciting changes. The ABS is grateful for the participation of so many, and we look forward to sharing with you our progress towards 2026 Census data release. 

Any questions? 
Please email census.data@abs.gov.au with any questions on this consultation or for further information. 

The public consultation ran from 9 April 2025 to 16 May 2025. The ABS sought feedback on the scope of the review (below) and requested other issues also be identified. 

2025 Minor Review of the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG) scope:

1. Investigation into the addition of new Cultural and Ethnic groups (4-digit level)

2. Appropriate representation of existing Cultural and Ethnic groups (labelling, spellings)  

3. Investigation into retiring declining Cultural and Ethnic groups (4-digit level)

For more detailed information on the scope, please refer to 2025 ASCCEG Review - Scope v1.0, document attached at the end of this page, under the heading Related.

This public consultation generated 43 submissions from a range of individuals and organisations.   

The feedback we received was diverse and insightful. It highlighted the importance of Census data products and the need for continuous improvement to meet the evolving needs of users.

Most of the items in the scope were broadly supported for the review. The topics in the scope that attracted the most submissions were the identification of new 4-digit groups and the inaccurate representation of existing groups. 

In addition to the issues outlined in the scope, a number of other concerns were raised, including: 

• The need to revise ASCCEG more broadly, to investigate the current structure and appropriate placement of existing Cultural and Ethnic groups.

• Some submissions asked for clarification on the labelling and naming conventions used in the ASCCEG, along with clarification about why some groups were included at the 4-digit level while others are not.

• The need to provide further explanatory information regarding application of the classification criteria and the use of ASCCEG for measuring ancestry captured in the Census.

The ABS reviewed all 43 Phase 1 submissions and has drafted changes to the ASCCEG. The proposed changes to the ASCCEG and supporting information will be presented via the ABS Consultation Hub on 4 August 2025. Stakeholders will be able to provide feedback on the proposed changes via this second phase of consultation before the final update is published in November 2025. 

Any issues or feedback identified in this process, but not investigated, will be considered in a future review.

Future consultation 

The second phase of public consultation on the proposed changes to the ASCCEG is expected to be conducted via the ABS Consultation Hub starting 4 August 2025.

Further information regarding Phase 1 is also available in the FAQ and Scope documents, at the end of this page, under the heading Related.

Any questions? 

Please email standards@abs.gov.au with any questions on this consultation or for further information.