Census In Australia, A Big Opportunity For The Punjabi Community To Register Their Identity
The national census, which is held every five years in Australia, is going to be held on August 11. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is sending instructions related to the census and access codes to fill out the online form to homes. Most people will be able to register their information online.
It is mandatory for everyone present in Australia to participate in the census. This includes Australian citizens and permanent residents, as well as students, work visa holders and people living on other temporary visas. People who have difficulty filling out the online form can also register their information through a paper form.
Several Important Changes In The 2026 Census
This time, people have been given more options than before to register their identity and family background in the census. The changes are intended to reflect Australia’s increasingly multicultural makeup more clearly in the data. Under the new arrangements, people will be able to register up to four identities about their family or heritage background instead of two. In addition, changes have also been made to the terminology related to gender and personal identity. The way data related to birth rates has also been changed.
Why Important For The Punjabi And Sikh Communities?
In the 2021 Australian Census, Punjabi language came in fifth place out of hundreds of languages spoken in Australia. According to the Department of Statistics, the number of Sikhs in the country was 2 lakh ten thousand 397. The largest Sikh population was recorded in the state of Victoria. After a gap of five years, the Australian Census 2026 is underway again. Forms are being sent to households for this. All questions must be filled correctly. But questions 21-23-24 in this form are absolutely necessary to show your presence in the country. During the last census, the number of Punjabi speakers in Australia increased by about 80 percent and reached about 2.39 lakh. Of these, more than 2.09 lakh people reported belonging to the Sikh religion.
Punjabi is now among the most widely spoken languages in Australia besides English. For this reason, various Gurdwara Management Committees and Sikh organizations are making the community aware of the need to enter correct information in the census. The community is being specifically appealed to clearly enter ‘Sikhism’ in the question related to religion and ‘Punjabi’ in the question related to language or cultural background.
The data collected through the census is an important basis for government policies and future planning in Australia. Based on this, plans are prepared for schools, hospitals, roads, housing, government services, language facilities and other infrastructure according to the needs of different communities. Therefore, the 2026 Census is being considered an important opportunity for the Punjabi community to accurately record their linguistic, cultural, religious, and family identity in government statistics.
