Census data reliable, says ABS

The 2016 Census was conducted with a new ‘digital rst’ approach, that centred on the use of a recently established Address Register.

However, on census night, there was a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack from another country, shutting down the online forms for more than a day. Then, an independent panel of eminent Australian and international statisticians, academics, and state government representatives was established to

Where migrants live

independently review and assure the quality of statistical outputs from the 2016 Census.

Overall, the panel found 2016 census data to be t and having comparable quality to previous Australian Censuses and International Censuses. The panel concluded that 2016 census data can be used with con dence.

Australian Statistician David W Kalisch said, “The 2016 Census had a response rate of 95.1 per cent and a net undercount of 1.0 per cent, meaning the quality is comparable to both previous Australian Censuses and Censuses in other countries, such as New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom.”

“Sixty-three per cent of people completed the Census online, embracing the digital- rst approach and contributing to faster data processing and data quality improvements.

Kalisch said the Australian Bureau of Statistics undertook quality checks, including a thorough Post Enumeration Survey, to ensure the data can be trusted. “These quality assurance measures, and a range of other factors, were considered and veri ed by the Panel,” he said.

Speaking to members of multicultural media on 5 July, Census General Manager Duncan Young and Census Director of Data Sue Taylor said that the ABS had compiled a huge amount of data over the course of the census. “Only a census can provide the information for the entire country, including small geographic areas and small population groups,” they said, and urged members of the public to nd out interesting and easy-to-understand details about their suburb, city community on the website www.abs.com.au.