2025 Minor Review of the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG) - Consultation Round 2

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.