The Australian census: what you need to know about the national headcount

Ten million Australian households are expected to take part but the census has been marred by privacy fears

Billed variously as a valuable snapshot of the nation, a dangerous violation of privacy, or an opportunity to briefly convert to Jediism, Australia's five-yearly census takes place on Tuesday night.

Ten million Australian households are expected to take part but the national headcount is mired in unprecedented controversy, with allegations that the move to collect the census online, and the requirement that personal details such as names will be retained for four years, pose an unprecedented risk to the safety of Australians' data.