Useful data sources

Find data about your community from data sources and dashboards that cover a broad range of topics. 

ABS Census of Population and Housing 

Every 5 years, the ABS counts every person and household in Australia. This is called the Census of Population and Housing(Opens in a new tab/window). 

The Census is the most comprehensive snapshot of the country and tells the story of how we are changing. Importantly, the counting of every person and household means data can be built up from the community-level. Census data tells us about the economic, social and cultural make-up of the country. 

Visit the Australian Bureau of Statistics website for more information about the Australian Census(Opens in a new tab/window). 

Census data tools

Census of Population and Housing data is available for everyone to view through a range of data tools. Each tool has different features and presents data in different ways. The ABS has a ‘Which Census tool is best for you’(Opens in a new tab/window) tool so you can access Census data in the way that suits you best. 

For all the variables and topics available in the Census, you can explore the Census Dictionary(Opens in a new tab/window). Some categories include health, housing and income and work.

If you also want to have a more detailed search through Census data for your area or region, you can:

• use the Search Census data(Opens in a new tab/window) tool
• download Datapacks(Opens in a new tab/window) that contain all Census data available at a particular geography. 

ABS Data by Region 

The ABS has various data related to your region going back to 2011. This includes historical Census data. They provide information on geographical coverage and scope on the Methodology page(Opens in a new tab/window). You can also access Data by Region via an interactive map(Opens in a new tab/window). 

You can also access detailed Data Downloads(Opens in a new tab/window) for your area or a particular topic.

Digital Atlas of Australia 

The Digital Atlas of Australia(Opens in a new tab/window) brings together hundreds of trusted national datasets in a central platform. It allows users to explore information about their communities through interactive maps and tools. This video(Opens in a new tab/window) can also help you understand the Digital Atlas.

How to use the Digital Atlas

Using the Digital Atlas, users can explore, analyse and visualise data by location on Australia's geography, people, economy and environment. Geoscience Australia is leading the development and delivery of the Digital Atlas. They are working closely with partners across government to make more data, maps and tools available in the Digital Atlas. 

You can access a range of user-friendly maps and tools in the Digital Atlas, including:

Progress in Australian Regions and Cities Dashboard 

The Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research provides the Progress in Australian Regions and Cities Dashboard.(Opens in a new tab/window) This dashboard is designed to answer the question of how our regions are progressing against a range of key progress indicators, including 

• labour market
• housing
• infrastructure
• well-being
• and environment.

The dashboard allows you to compare indicators across geographies using tools such as Regional Profiles, Cities Profiles and Comparisons tool. 

The dashboard is updated monthly and provides data available at the SA4 and LGA levels. The latest data release is from 2023, however previous versions are available on the website until 2014.

Using TableBuilder to access ABS data 

The ABS TableBuilder tool is a flexible way to access detailed data. It can be helpful for very large data sets such as the Census. 

TableBuilder helps you build your own tables and download them. You can display counts, percentages or averages for population characteristics (such as income) that you are interested in.

TableBuilder is free for all users but you must register an account(Opens in a new tab/window) first. Use your organisation email address to access any additional datasets your organisation has subscribed to. Once registered you will need to follow instructions to activate your account. The ABS TableBuilder Getting started(Opens in a new tab/window) page provides information on how to log in to TableBuilder and start using the tool. 

In addition, this video(Opens in a new tab/window) shows some introductory steps for how to access and download datasets from TableBuilder.