Census 2026 is compulsory for everyone, and skipping it can cost $364 a day

Everyone in Australia on the night of Tuesday, 11 August 2026 must be counted in the Census, including people on student, bridging, tourist, and any other kind of temporary or permanent visas. Completing it is compulsory under law. Households that don't respond receive a formal written direction, and refusing after that can lead to prosecution and fines of up to $364 a day. In this episode, Swati Sharma explains how to fill out the form, what to do if you're overseas on the night, the ancestry question, the religion question and how to identify Census related scams. Listen now.