|The Census provides the characteristics of the population and its housing to support the planning, administration and policy development activities of governments, businesses, communities, researchers and other users. While some of this information is available from other sources, only a Census can provide the information for the country as a whole and for small geographic areas and small population groups. |
Examples of how Census data are used can be found in the publication How Australia Takes a Census, 2011 (cat. no. 2903.0).
The 2011 Census Dictionary (cat. no. 2901.0) contains details of the classifications used in the 2011 Census along with definitions of Census concepts and terms. The dictionary is a comprehensive reference guide that will help you determine and specify your data requirements.
The links on the right of this page will help you find the data and information you need.
Which product is right for me? will help you identify the most appropriate product or service for your needs.
Groups of people includes information about how to obtain information at the person level, family level and household level and about other groups of people, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Communities, areas and locations describes new collection areas, and explains how to obtain statistics about people by community, location and area.
Comparing data explains how to compare data from different Censuses or geographic areas, and how to compare data about different groups of people.
Formats and costs explains the formats available and what you can do with them, and the associated costs.
Data FAQs contains answers to questions about Census data that are not specific to a Census product.
For information about updates and corrections to 2011 Census data, see 2011 Census updates & corrections.
If you are still unable to find what you need, see More help.