Review of 2021 Census Topics

One question about gender identity (separate to sex) would provide a more meaningful understanding of transgender/gender minority prevalence in Australia. Currently, our capacity to understand the social, economic, and health disparities experienced by this group is limited by our poor identification of gender diverse people.

Policy reform and increased research is greatly needed to reduce marginalisation of transgender and gender minority Australians; efforts in both these areas would be greatly enhanced by including a question on gender identity in the census.

There is growing recognition that data on gender minorities is needed. Gender identity is “each person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned to them at birth”(Yogyakarta Principles 2006). Those whose gender identity is aligned with their birth assigned sex are referred to as ‘cisgender’. People whose birth assigned sex does not correspond to their gender identity are referred to as ‘transgender’(Pega, Reisner et al. 2017). It is widely recognised that transgender people face stigma, discrimination and experience significant health disadvantage (Reisner, Poteat et al. 2016). However there is currently no prevalence data of gender identity in Australia – this lack of population data hinders understanding of these vulnerable groups. This information is vital both for research purposes, but also to support policy, planning, and programs designed to meet the needs of transgender populations.

Collection of this data will support policy development as well as research. We know that transgender people face considerable stigma and discrimination, poor physical and mental health outcomes, higher rates of suicide, lower life expectancy, and are more likely to experience homelessness than the general population. Asking questions about gender identity in the census would give policy makers information about transgender groups including sociodemographic characteristics such as their age distribution, as well as their spatial distribution. Combined with the other information collected in the census, this information could provide the ability to monitor the social, economic and health outcomes of transgender people.

Evidence about the health and social disparities of transgender populations comes largely from overseas. What little data is available in Australia has come from small, non-representative samples. Collecting gender identity data in the census will provide more meaningful prevalence estimates for Australia and enable future linkages with other datasets, thereby greatly expanding our understanding of health and social disparities in these marginalised populations. It will also represent an important step toward increasing visibility of gender diverse Australians and fulfilling their rights as citizens.

Pega, F., S. L. Reisner, R. L. Sell and J. F. Veale (2017). "Transgender health: New Zealand’s innovative statistical standard for gender identity." American Journal of Public Health 107(2): 217-221.

Reisner, S. L., T. Poteat, J. Keatley, M. Cabral, T. Mothopeng, E. Dunham, C. E. Holland, R. Max and S. D. Baral (2016). "Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review." The Lancet 388(10042): 412-436.

Yogyakarta Principles (2006). Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in Relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. I. Yogyakarta.

While accurate data about the size of the transgender population does not exist, it is estimated that 0.3-0.5% of the worldwide population identify as transgender (Reisner, Poteat et al. 2016) (although this may be an under-estimate). Such low prevalence makes it difficult for most surveys to glean meaningful results from gender identity questions – regardless of how robust and well-delivered the measures. The small population size of transgender populations is indeed the purported reason for the elision of gender identity measures from routine surveys. The census offers the opportunity to provide the high-quality data on gender identity that is critically needed to understand the needs of transgender people.

Furthermore, no other survey has enough information on socio-demographic and economic characteristics to make valid comparisons between transgender and cisgender populations. The census also has extensive information on all household members, something which is not available in other surveys but which could provide important contextual information on the lives and needs of transgender populations.

Reisner, S. L., T. Poteat, J. Keatley, M. Cabral, T. Mothopeng, E. Dunham, C. E. Holland, R. Max and S. D. Baral (2016). "Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review." The Lancet 388(10042): 412-436.

International best practice guidelines promote a two-question approach to measuring sex and gender identity that includes sex at birth and current gender identity (GenIUSS Group 2014, Pega, Reisner et al. 2017). Given that sex already has an allocated question on the Australian census, the extra burden on respondents imposed by our recommended single additional question is minimal. The question would be presented in a similar format to ‘sex’, and will therefore be answered quickly and easily.

Australians are accustomed to answering questions about sex or gender in surveys (and in everyday contexts). While it is less common to be questioned about sex and gender simultaneously, there is evidence that people do not have difficulty answering two questions on sex/gender instead of one. Moreover, when response categories include additional options to the traditional binary (i.e. male/female, man/woman or boy/girl), respondents understand these questions and, with few exceptions, readily provide answers (GenIUSS Group 2014, Pega, Reisner et al. 2017, Ellis, Virgile et al. 2018).

Ellis, R., M. Virgile, J. L. Holzberd, D. V. Nelson, J. Edgar, P. Phipps and R. Kaplan (2018). Assessing the Feasibility of Asking About Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Current Population Survey: Results from Cognitive Interviews. Washington, D.C. , Office of Survey Methods Research, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

GenIUSS Group, T. (2014). Best practices for asking questions to identify transgender and other gender minority respondents on population-based surveys. J. L. Herman. Los Angeles, The Williams Institute.

Pega, F., S. L. Reisner, R. L. Sell and J. F. Veale (2017). "Transgender health: New Zealand’s innovative statistical standard for gender identity." American Journal of Public Health 107(2): 217-221.

Evidence from the United States and New Zealand suggests that gender identity would likely be acceptable to Australian Census respondents (GenIUSS Group 2014, Pega, Reisner et al. 2017, Ellis, Virgile et al. 2018). In the 2016 pilot of the extended ‘sex’ question in the Australian Census, it was evident that gender nonconforming Australians desire alternatives to a simple ‘male/female’ binary option for sex.

In 2016, the US Department of Labor sponsored research to assess the feasibility and acceptability of asking gender identity questions in an employment survey and via proxy reporting (in which one person responds for a whole household) (Ellis, Virgile et al. 2018). Extensive cognitive testing demonstrated that asking a two-part question with ‘sex at birth’ and ‘current gender identity’ components is acceptable to respondents.

There is potential for some culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups to have specific cultural sensitivities or differences in conceptualising gender/sex (Ellis, Virgile et al. 2018). Indigenous communities also have understandings of gender and ways of identifying that may differ from the non-Indigenous majority (Pega, Reisner et al. 2017). These considerations must be taken into account when developing gender identity questions for the Australian census.

Challenges around intrusiveness of questions or accuracy of responses (to the extent that one’s professed gender identity can be deemed ‘inaccurate’) can be mitigated through community consultation and cognitive testing in the Australian population. Advocacy organisations who represent trans and gender diverse Australians, such as Transgender Victoria, Sisters & Brothers NT, and Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council, should be included in this process.


Ellis, R., M. Virgile, J. L. Holzberd, D. V. Nelson, J. Edgar, P. Phipps and R. Kaplan (2018). Assessing the Feasibility of Asking About Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Current Population Survey: Results from Cognitive Interviews. Washington, D.C. , Office of Survey Methods Research, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

GenIUSS Group, T. (2014). Best practices for asking questions to identify transgender and other gender minority respondents on population-based surveys. J. L. Herman. Los Angeles, The Williams Institute.

Pega, F., S. L. Reisner, R. L. Sell and J. F. Veale (2017). "Transgender health: New Zealand’s innovative statistical standard for gender identity." American Journal of Public Health 107(2): 217-221.

Adding a question about gender identity does not present any coding or processing difficulties that differ from those that accompany collecting data on sex. The ABS has already trialled a more extensive ‘sex’ question and a two-question approach is not likely to add further complexity; in fact it may simplify some processes given that the two questions would be administered to all census participants and not just those who requested it be asked (as was the case with the extended ‘sex’ questions in 2016).

Many United States nationwide surveys already include questions to identify transgender and gender nonconforming individuals; these include the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the Youth Risk Behaviour Surveillance System (YRBS), and the National Inmate Survey (NIS) (GenIUSS Group 2014).

There is increasing recognition of the importance of this topic, and the right to inclusion of transgender people. This reflects a paradigm shift for transgender people from a disease-based model (in which transgender was regarded as a mental health disorder) to more of an identity based model (Reisner, Poteat et al. 2016). It is further recognised that transgender people have been understudied by research, and underserved by policy and programs. The inclusion of gender-identity measures will assist efforts to identify and meet the needs transgender people.

Reisner, S. L., T. Poteat, J. Keatley, M. Cabral, T. Mothopeng, E. Dunham, C. E. Holland, R. Max and S. D. Baral (2016). "Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review." The Lancet 388(10042): 412-436.

There is currently no gender identity data in Australia. The lack of population prevalence, and other demographic data of transgender within Australia severely impedes understanding of the experiences and needs of gender minorities, as well as the impact of stigma and prejudice on the life outcomes of those gender minorities. Furthermore, lack of adequate data also reduces the capacity of government and civil society programs designed to meet the needs of gender minorities.