Experts anticipate a rise in the number of Australians reporting long-term mental health conditions in the 2026 census, which was conducted on Tuesday, August 13th, 2026. This census marks only the second time Australians have been asked to report long-term health issues, providing statisticians with comparative data to assess shifts in population health since the 2021 census.

In the 2021 census, about one in 11 Australians reported having a long-term mental health condition, ranking ahead of arthritis and asthma. Mental health conditions were most prevalent in the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia, where approximately one in 10 people lived with such conditions, including depression and anxiety.

Biostatistician Tim Slade from the University of Sydney's Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use highlighted the importance of this data, stating, "It provides really important information at an Australian population level for the prevalence of these conditions, and obviously tracking whether things have changed over time."

Professor Slade's recent research, published in July 2026, showed that by 2022, more than one in three young Australians aged 16 to 24 reported mental health conditions. He noted that mental health challenges were increasing even before the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, "In terms of mental health challenges … we were seeing a rise in mental health problems long before the COVID pandemic."

COVID-19 has impacted mental health, particularly among some subgroups of the population, but the rise in mental health problems spans the broader adult population as well.

Georgie Harman, chief executive of the mental health service provider Beyond Blue, confirmed a rise in demand for mental health services across Australia.

The 2026 census results are expected to provide a fuller picture of community wellbeing and help track changes in mental health prevalence nationwide.

Sources