Comparison of HILDA Survey Estimates With the 2006–2021 Censuses

Abstract

Issue: The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey has provided researchers and policymakers with invaluable insights into Australian life for more than two decades. Nevertheless, nonresponse, attrition and shifts in population coverage can affect how representative the sample is over time. Methods: We evaluate the HILDA Survey's representativeness by comparing its estimates against those from the Census across four time periods and four age groups. Findings: We find strong alignment across many of the variables examined. For the most part, observed differences can be explained by differences in the questions asked, recall periods or different collection methodologi..