Australian Jewish groups are campaigning for community members to write “Judaism” on the 2026 Census on August 11, as the form does not include a dedicated box for it.
Since the Australian Bureau of Statistics introduced a tick-a-box option with seven religious choices in the 1991 Census, there has never been a box for Judaism. This is reportedly because Judaism represents a smaller statistical demographic in Australia, accounting for roughly 0.4% of the population.
The explicit tick-boxes on the 2026 form are: No religion, Catholic, Anglican, Islam, Hinduism, Uniting Church, Buddhism, Presbyterian, Greek Orthodox, and Baptist.
Jews can tick the “Other” box and are being asked to enter “Jewish” or “Judaism” to ensure that the Australian government has accurate data on community numbers.
Daniel Aghion KC, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, released a message asking community members to insert the word “Jewish” or “Judaism” as the answer for each Jewish member of their household.
Jewish leaders urge accurate census responses
“We know that Jewish identity is ethnic and cultural as well as religious”, Aghion said. “However, inserting the word ‘Jewish’ or ‘Judaism’ in answer to the question on religion is the simplest and most recognizable way to identify as Jewish in the Census.”
He acknowledged that some community members may be concerned about the risk of identifying themselves as Jewish in the Census given the rise in antisemitism.
However, he assured the community that the Census “is extremely secure,” noting that the law imposes stiff penalties, including imprisonment, on anyone who directly or indirectly divulges identifiable personal information collected in the Census.
“It is very much in the interests of the Jewish community that the census questionnaire is completed with full accuracy,” he said. “Census data affects Government’s allocation of resources to assist the Australian community in a host of vital areas. The Jewish community also depends on the Census for accurate planning information for services in fields such as education, welfare and aged care.”
Robert Gregory, president of the Australian Jewish Association, told The Jerusalem Post it was “disappointing” that the Census did not include a dedicated box for Judaism.
“The organizers say the Jewish population is too small to warrant its own category, but the absence of a dedicated box is likely to discourage even more people from identifying as Jewish,” he said. “The reality is that the Australian Census is likely to significantly undercount the size of the Jewish community.”
Gregory noted that a box had been added for people identifying as non-binary instead of male or female in the section on sex, despite that group also constituting a small segment of the Australian population.
“The Jewish community has made a significant contribution to Australia since European settlement and deserves proper recognition in our national Census,” he said.
However, like the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Gregory encouraged people to record their religion accurately in the Census.
‘Make JUDAISM matter’ campaign
The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry are running a campaign called “Make JUDAISM matter” to educate Australian Jews about the importance of writing “Jewish” in the 2026 Census.
“The Census is an opportunity to make sure the Jewish community is accurately represented.”
“Knowing the size of the Jewish community helps with planning, funding and services that support us all – from community programs and education to aged care, social support and other essential services,” the campaign says, adding that “every response helps ensure our community is represented.”
