Locals are being reminded to be prepared to complete forms for Census night on Tuesday 11 August.

The Census is a snapshot of Australia to tell the story of how things are changing.

In the Census, every answer matters to give information to help understand the needs of Australia now and into the future.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2026 National Census provides an insight into how Narrandera is changing in a range of aspects, in comparison with the previous census completed in 2021.

By comparing the results with the previous Census, a picture of change emerges.

The 2021 Census results for Narrandera showed a slight decrease of 155 in population in comparison with the previous 2016 Census.

The 2021 Census recorded 5698 people in Narrandera, down from 5853 residents recorded in the 2016 Census.

The results also revealed that Narrandera was home to 12.7 per cent of people who identified as Indigenous.

This figure came in at four times higher than the national average of 3.2 per cent.

A total of 84.2 per cent of Narrandera’s population was born in Australia, which is also much higher than the national figure of 66.9 per cent.

The highest population in Narrandera by age are those aged between 60 and 64 years old (7.7 per cent), with 10 to 14 years old coming in a close second at 7.4 per cent.

The largest religion followed by the Narrandera population was Catholic (24 per cent) followed by Anglican (19.6 per cent).

From population growth, weekly household income and property ownership, to cultural diversity and religion and health matters, much will have changed between the previous census over a five-year period.

In relation to medical conditions, data on long-term health issues across the whole population is critical in informing planning and service delivery decisions about how treatment and care are provided.

Census data is also used to inform decisions about transport, schools, health care, infrastructure and business in the community and on a national level.

The Census results will also reveal if the population of Narrandera is dwindling or on the increase.

Visit www.census.abs.gov.au for more information.