The Australian Bureau of Statistics is urging households in selected test locations to complete the Census Test, following the official test night on Tuesday 5 August 2025.
About 60,000 households were selected in and around Rockhampton, Gladstone and Yeppoon in Queensland; Melbourne in Victoria; Perth, Albany and WA’s Wheatbelt region; Coonamble and Gilgandra in New South Wales; and Katherine in the Northern Territory. Those chosen received instructions on how to take part.
Census General Manager Jenny Telford thanked participants and appealed to anyone yet to respond to finalise their forms. “Thank you to everyone who has already completed the Census Test. If you haven’t completed your form yet, there’s still time,” Ms Telford said. “Your participation will help us improve the Census process so our next Census in 2026 is easier to complete and produces high quality statistics.”
The test captures who was staying in each selected household on the test night, including visitors and babies. Households that have not yet responded may receive a reminder letter, a visit from a Census Field Officer, or a notification in their myGov Inbox if they subscribed via myGov.
Field officers will carry Australian Bureau of Statistics photo identification and a yellow satchel. Not everyone in the test locations was selected; if you did not receive instructions in the mail, no action is required. The ABS said areas were chosen using insights from the 2021 Census.
Participation in the Census Test is voluntary. The ABS emphasised that information provided is confidential, legally protected, and will not be released in a way that could identify individuals, households or businesses. Data collected is for testing purposes only and will not be published.
Help is available at www.Census.abs.gov.au/help or by calling 1800 181 227.
