The Federal Government has revealed the next census will be held on August 9, 2016.

But gone may be the days of staying in to be counted on census night.

The Government expects two thirds of Australians will complete next year's survey online.

It says such a high online completion rate would make Australia a "world leader" in digital censuses and could mean the 2016 survey becomes one of the biggest online events in Australian history.

Government frontbencher Kelly O'Dwyer hopes a new digital focus will make the process simpler and more convenient for respondents.

"They'll be able to complete it on their phone, on their iPad, wherever they've got a mobile device, they'll be able to fill in the survey," she said.

"There will be some people though, we know, who will not be able to fill it in online and they'll be able to ask for a paper form.

"But most people we think will take up the opportunity to fill it in online.

"It's pretty much a world first in terms of the number of people who'll be completing an online census and we think it's a great innovation because it means it's going to be easier for people and it's also far more environmentally friendly."

Australian statistician David Kalisch said gone were the days census collectors travelled on "camel back".

"Over the past 100 years we have moved from using mechanical adding machines and calculators, and census collectors travelling on horse or camel back, to transforming our census operations in 2016 to take advantage of today's digital world and connect with citizens in their online environments," he said.

"Online login codes will be posted to the majority of households, replacing hand delivery and collection of forms by census field staff."

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) uses census data, along with other data such as information from the Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages and Department of Immigration and Border Protection data, as the basis for official population estimates, including annual regional population estimates.