Gender identification questions could be dumped from the Australia Census

Gender identification questions may be scrapped from the Australian Census to cater to the transgender community.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said it was reviewing a number of questions to be dropped from the 2021 census.

Included in the list was removing the male or female selection question, The Herald Sun reported.

‘When it comes to Census data, the gender option in the 2016 Census was a ”point in time” with no option for a respondent to say whether they previously identified as a different gender,’ an ABS spokesperson said. 

Household internet access and the number of cars linked to a household are other questions that could also be dumped from the census. 

The survey is distributed nationwide every five years and collects information that is necessary to gauge the country’s service and infrastructure needs.

The ABS is also reviewing topics such as sexual orientation, Aboriginal identity and smoking status.

Australian Defence Force history and chronic health conditions are also on the list of questions to be reviewed.  

The ABS said following the review into its questions it would take the recommendations to the federal government.

‘We expect this will be finalised in early 2020 following tabling the regulations in parliament,’ the ABS spokesman said.

‘We will publish the outcomes of this in a publication later the same year.’

This is not the first time the Australian Census has been changed and is often updated to reflect the times.

In 1947, participants were asked to answer questions whether their households had running water and flushing toilets.

In the 1960s, Australians were asked if they had televisions in their homes. 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said it was reviewing a number of questions to be dropped from the 2021 census (stock image)