ABS Consultation Hub

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. 

From 11 March to 4 April 2025, the ABS gathered stakeholder input on the ongoing maintenance strategy for the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA), including components underpinning maintenance, timing of updates, and the framework for prioritising proposed changes. We consulted on the usefulness of the proposed model for maintenance and any barriers you anticipate for implementation of future classification updates. 

OSCA is the new classification developed following the comprehensive review of the Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), which had not been reviewed in its entirety since the first edition in 2006 and was no longer reflective of the modern labour market. The main aim of the maintenance strategy for OSCA is to ensure the classification continues to reflect the evolution of the labour market.

The ABS received 123 responses from all levels of government, businesses, Jobs and Skills Councils, industry bodies/associations, academics and individuals.

We received support for the four proposed components of the OSCA maintenance strategy: statistical design, stakeholder engagement, comprehensive review and quality assurance. Stakeholder engagement received the strongest support, with requests for advance notice to gather data and prepare submissions to the ABS.

Many of you said you wanted a way to engage with us throughout the development process. You would like more time to work with your stakeholders to consult on proposed changes, including the opportunity to provide comment on final proposals before publication.

You suggested additional components that we will continue to take into consideration, such as:

• increasing the visibility of traditionally female-dominated occupations

• ensuring representation of occupations specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

• ensuring alignment with other occupation systems and international standards supporting labour mobility and policies, including trans-Tasman harmonisation by collaborating with Stats NZ to map occupation systems for comparability

• requesting the ABS to take on a greater leadership role in encouraging adoption of updates.

The overwhelming majority of you indicated you would implement the proposed updates to OSCA over the next 5 years. Over 80% of you told us that you plan to implement the next update in 2027, and 76% of you said you would implement all three. Those of you who would not implement all three updates either were not responsible for implementation or preferred to wait until completing initial transition to OSCA 2024 Version 1.0.

You told us that the time between updates to ANZSCO had been too long. Most of you indicated that the current proposed timing for OSCA strikes a fair balance between update frequency and what is realistically implementable.

However, there was no consensus on how often updates should occur. Some of you called for updates to be made immediately, especially those who rely on updates to reflect changes in specific occupations of concern.

Others expressed concerns about their ability to implement changes as frequently as we proposed. Those of you responsible for systems and reporting that require an overhaul of metadata for each classification update tended to prefer updates every 5 to 10 years.

Your responses to the barriers to implementation of OSCA question showed us that we have a good grasp of your key concerns. Almost one third of you reported no barriers to implementation. The most significant barrier identified was “Not having contemporary data at the time of the classification update”, followed closely by “Insufficient resources (such as time, money, or personnel required to implement)”.

You were very supportive of the proposed framework to determine how a submission will be prioritised. You predominantly agreed there needs to be a strong emphasis on national priorities and the broader societal impact.

One quarter of your responses to this consultation included occupation-specific feedback in addition to comments on the proposed maintenance model.

We thank those of you who participated for taking the time to provide feedback. Your feedback will help to shape the OSCA maintenance strategy which we will publish on 28 July 2025.

We heard that you have appreciated the opportunity to engage with us. Building on the strong stakeholder engagement we developed to deliver OSCA 2024 Version 1.0, we will incorporate your suggestions for advance notice of consultations and a continuous feedback loop. We are aware that some issues cannot be resolved without detailed discussions. We commit to having these discussions as required.

To further aid implementation, we will continue to strengthen our new partnerships with key government bodies whose lists, informed by OSCA, are essential for economic planning, workforce development and policy delivery. These partnerships will also help to ensure updates to OSCA are driven by issues of national importance – reflecting both your priorities and our shared commitment to focussing on what matters most for Australia’s workforce and economy.

We recognise that the proposed update model does not work for everyone, and we will review it after publishing OSCA 2030. We also recognise that you had additional occupation-specific feedback on the current classification. We have already begun to prepare the next round of updates, including some generated through this consultation, and will be providing more information on how to participate in the next update soon.

We are committed to providing data alongside classification updates and providing correspondence files and coding tools to support your use of the classification. We will discuss how data will be presented with classification updates in the maintenance strategy, in recognition that these data will support users’ analytical needs during the maintenance cycle. 

In addition to the maintenance strategy, reinforcing our ongoing commitment to stakeholder engagement, we will be maintaining the About OSCA page for information on the latest developments to OSCA. This will include timelines for future releases and consultations.