Australian Bureau of Statistics
Agency overview
Formed8 December 1905 (1905-12-08)
Preceding agency
  • Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics
JurisdictionAustralian Government
HeadquartersCanberra, Australian Capital Territory
Employees3,779 (at 30 June 2021) [1]
Annual budgetAUS$ $172.7 million (over four years from 2023-24)[2]
Minister responsible
Agency executive
Parent departmentTreasury
Websiteabs.gov.au
ABS House which is the headquarters for the Australian Bureau of Statistics

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is an Australian government agency that collects and analyses statistics on economic, population, environmental, and social issues, and uses data gained to advise sectors of government.

The ABS conducts Australia's Census of Population and Housing every five years and publishes most of its findings online. It was established in 1905 and replaced the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics (CBCS).[5]

History

In early 1901, each state and territory of Australia collected statistics for their own separate use. Various attempts were made to coordinate collections through an annual Conference of Statisticians. Later, a national statistical office was proposed to develop nationally comparable statistics.[6]

The Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics (CBCS) was established under the Census and Statistics Act of 1905 with Sir George Handley Knibbs appointed as the first Commonwealth Statistician. The Bureau, initially located in Melbourne, was attached to the Department of Home Affairs. In 1928 the Bureau relocated to Canberra, and in 1932 moved to the Department of the Treasury.[6]

Initially, the states maintained their own statistical offices and collaborated with the CBCS to generate national data. However, certain states encountered difficulties in supporting a state statistical office to the extent necessary to provide a satisfactory statistical service. In 1924, the Tasmanian Statistical Office was transferred to the Commonwealth. On 20 August 1957, the New South Wales (NSW) Bureau of Statistics was merged into the Commonwealth Bureau.[7] Unification of the state statistical offices with the CBCS was finally achieved in the late 1950s under the stewardship of Sir Stanley Carver, who was both NSW Statistician and Acting Commonwealth Statistician.[6]

In 1974, the CBCS was abolished, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) was established in its place. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Act established the ABS as a statutory authority in 1975, headed by the Australian Statistician and responsible to the Treasurer.[6]

In 2015, the Australian government announced a $250 million five-year investment with a goal to modernise ABS systems and processes.[8]

Census of Population and Housing

Every 5 years the ABS conducts the Australian Census of Population and Housing as stipulated under federal law in the Constitution of Australia.[9]

The most recent Census of Population and Housing was conducted on 10 August 2021.[10] Statistics from the census were published on the ABS website on 28 June 2022.[11]

The census aims to accurately measure the number of people and dwellings in Australia and a range of their key characteristics. This information is used for the definition of electoral boundaries, infrastructure planning the creation of community services, and to increase data available for creating public policies.[12]

2016 Census

In 2016, the ABS conducted their census largely online through their website and logins, rather than through the traditional paper forms.[13] The 2016 census was unavailable for 43 hours, from 7:30 pm on 9 August, due to a series of cyber concerns which prompted the ABS to take the form offline.[14] The chief statistician, David Kalisch, stated the website was closed after multiple denial-of-service attacks targeted the online form. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) confirmed the incident was a DDoS attack and that it did not result in any unauthorised access to or extraction of any personal information.[15][16]

The online census web page was returned at 2:30 pm on 11 August.[17] A Senate inquiry was held into the census events.[18] An independent panel was established by the Australian Statistician to help ensure quality of the data from the 2016 census, which was found fit for purpose, comparable to previous Australian and international censuses and regarded as able to be used with confidence.[19]

The parliamentary report[15] on the outage concluded that there were technical, organisational and process issues that contributed to the outage. Lack of communication prompted the use of social media channels to update the public on the status of the site such as unclear escalation procedures between the ABS, ASD and their sub-contractor IBM including poor independent verification of security arrangements.

2021 Census

The 2021 Census achieved a response rate above the ABS target, obtaining data from ten million (10,852,208) dwellings during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The dwelling response rate was 96.1 percent, an increase from 95.1 percent in 2016.[20]

Publications

The ABS publishes monthly and quarterly economic information spanning interest rates, property prices, employment, the value of the Australian dollar, and commodity prices. Publications include:

Other major publications

Outside the main economic indicators, the ABS has a number of other major publications covering topics including:

  • Health: The 2011–12 Australian Health Survey was a survey on health and wellbeing conducted in Australia. The survey included a biomedical component with respondents having the option of providing biomedical samples such as blood and urine for testing. This allowed the survey to capture detailed health information, for example conditions such as diabetes in the community. A secondary component of the Australian Health Survey asked respondents to keep a food diary which was then used to obtain a view of the nutritional intake and dietary preferences of the nation.[21]
  • Crime: The ABS publishes crime statistics such as individual releases covering offenders,[22] victims of crime,[23] the corrections system[24] and prisons.[25]
  • Demography: The ABS publishes a number of demography releases including data on population,[26] population growth[27] and projections,[28] interstate and overseas migration,[29] births,[30] deaths[31] and overseas arrivals and departures.[32]
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander statistics: The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) collects information on the social situation of Indigenous Australians, including on health, education, culture and labour force participation. The ABS also collects data related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders through the Australian Health Survey[33] as well as in many other regular publications in the areas of demography, education, employment and more.
  • Education: The major education publications are Childhood Education and Care,[34] Schools,[35] and Education and Work.[36] They look at all aspects of education in Australia from preschool up to undergraduate and postgraduate study.
  • Environment: The ABS has publications on environmental topics covering energy and water use, conservation activities undertaken by households, land management, farming and more. The Land Account publication covering the Great Barrier Reef was released in 2011.[37]
  • Research and Innovation: The ABS has been undertaking surveys to collect estimates from Australian organisations regarding expenditure on and human resources devoted to research and development (R&D) in Australia since 1978. The results allow the nature and distribution of Australia's R&D activity to be monitored by government policy analysts and advisers to government, businesses and economists.[38]

In August 2017, the Treasurer issued a directive to the ABS to undertake a statistical collection into the views of Australians on the electoral roll about same-sex marriage.[39] This is now referred to as the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.

The ABS previously published the Yearbook Australia, available on the ABS site under various ISSNs and title iterations (Commonwealth yearbook, Official yearbook of the Commonwealth of Australia).[40] It was first published in 1908 and ceased in 2012.[41]

The ABS publishes an Annual Report with a detailed description of the ABS' activities during the preceding year, accounting for its use of public resources and performance against planned outcomes.

International engagement

The ABS engages in international and regional statistical forums including United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy (CSSP), and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Conference for European Statisticians (CES).

The ABS has a partnership with DFAT to deliver statistical and institutional capability building programs for the Indo-Pacific region, both in-country and by hosting development visits. The ABS has also hosted international development and study visits from countries including China, Japan, Canada, Korea and Nepal.[42]

Australian Statistician

Since 1975, the head of the ABS has been known as the "Australian Statistician". Previously, the office was titled the "Commonwealth Statistician".

The incumbent since 11 December 2019 is David Gruen.[43] Previous incumbents have included David Kalisch[44] and Brian Pink.[45] Pink retired in January 2014.[46] Ian Ewing acted in the role from 13 January to 14 February 2014, and Jonathan Palmer acted from 17 February to 12 December 2014.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Australian Bureau of Statistics – Annual Report 2020–21". transparency.gov.au. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  2. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (2023). "Budget funding supports new data and security uplift". Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Administrative Arrangements Order". pmc.gov.au. 23 June 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "Dr David Gruen, Australian Statistician". abs.gov.au. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  5. ↑ "Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "History of the ABS". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Bureau of Statistics". Record agency. NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  8. ↑ "Government to tip $250M into ABS to modernise IT". CIO. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Senate Inquiry Report into the 2016 Census". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "2021 Census product release guide". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "2021 Census snapshot: Australia has doubled in size over the last 50 years". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  12. ↑ "The Australian Census". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  13. ↑ "Get online on August 9". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  14. ↑ "Review of the events surrounding the 2016 eCensus: Improving institutional cyber security culture and practices across the Australian government—Alastair MacGibbon, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Cyber Security—Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet—13 October 2016". parlinfo.aph.gov.au. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  15. 1 2 "Review of the events surrounding the 2016 eCensus: Improving institutional cyber security culture and practices across the Australian government—Alastair MacGibbon, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Cyber Security—Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet—13 October 2016". parlinfo.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  16. ↑ "ABS Chief Statistician reveals to ABC NewsRadio the census website was taken down after four cyber-attacks from an overseas source". abc.net.au/newsradio. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 10 August 2016. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  17. ↑ "2016 Census – Online form update: 3.00 pm, August 11" (Press release). Australian Bureau of Statistics. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  18. ↑ "2016 Census Senate Inquiry Report". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  19. ↑ "Census quality – independent assurance". abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  20. ↑ "2021 Census snapshot: Australia has doubled in size over the last 50 years". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "4364.0.55.007 – Australian Health Survey: Nutrition First Results – Foods and Nutrients, 2011–12". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  22. ↑ "4519.0 – Recorded Crime – Offenders, 2014–15". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  23. ↑ "4530.0 – Crime Victimisation, Australia, 2014–15". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  24. ↑ "4512.0 – Corrective Services, Australia, March Quarter 2016". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  25. ↑ "4517.0 – Prisoners in Australia, 2015". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  26. ↑ "3101.0 – Australian Demographic Statistics, Dec 2015". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  27. ↑ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2014–15". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  28. ↑ "3222.0 – Population Projections, Australia, 2012 (base) to 2101". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  29. ↑ "3412.0 – Migration, Australia, 2014–15". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  30. ↑ "3301.0 – Births, Australia, 2014". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  31. ↑ "3302.0 – Deaths, Australia, 2014". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  32. ↑ "3401.0 – Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, May 2016". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  33. ↑ "4727.0.55.003 – Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Biomedical Results, 2012–13". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 17 December 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  34. ↑ "4402.0 – Childhood Education and Care, Australia, June 2014". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  35. ↑ "4221.0 – Schools, Australia, 2015". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  36. ↑ "6227.0 – Education and Work, Australia, May 2015". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  37. ↑ "4609.0.55.001 – Land Account: Great Barrier Reef Region, Experimental Estimates, 2014". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  38. ↑ "8166.0 – Summary of IT Use and Innovation in Australian Business, 2014–15". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  39. ↑ Treasury. "Census and Statistics (Statistical Information) Direction 2017". www.legislation.gov.au. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  40. ↑ "1301.0". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  41. ↑ Kafkarisos, Steven. "Research Guides: Commonwealth government publications : Year books". guides.slv.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  42. ↑ "1001.0 – Australian Bureau of Statistics – Annual Report, 2013–14". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 August 2016. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia licence.
  43. ↑ "Appointment of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Statistician". Department of the Treasury. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  44. ↑ National (12 December 2014). "David Kalisch new Australian Statistician: Leads Australian Bureau of Statistics after tumultuous year". Canberratimes.com.au. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  45. ↑ "Appointment of Australian Statistician". Press Release, Treasurer of Australia. 13 December 2006. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2007.
  46. ↑ "The Australian Statistician to retire (Media Release)". abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.