The annual Retirement Census is the most comprehensive aggregated data source about retirement villages in Australia.
The 2024 Census is the 10th year this data has been collected.
The Retirement Census profiles the physical characteristics of village, ownership details, residents, business attributes (e.g. tenure, financial structure, operating overheads), sales, health and wellbeing, contracts, technology, and future development.
Why participate
Improve performance: Participating village operators receive a detailed 50+ page report which assists them benchmark their performance against sector averages, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and remedy areas of underperformance.
Improve investment: The Retirement Census increases transparency and knowledge of the sector in order to promote investment in the retirement living sector.
Improve advocacy: The Retirement Census provides the Retirement Living Council with reliable data for policy decisions and government advocacy.
How to participate
All retirement village operators can participate in the Retirement Census.
You don’t need to be a member of the Property Council to participate.
If your organisation… | You can participate by… |
Is a Property Council member | We’ll contact your organisation’s “Property Council member rep” directly with the spreadsheet to complete. |
Participated in the last Retirement Census | We’ll contact your organisation with the spreadsheet to complete. |
Is neither of the above |
Additonal information
Download the FAQs and Confidentiality Statement for the Retirement Census.
Contact us for further information.
Snapshot reports
Latest report
The Retirement Census for 2023 spans from January to December of
that year, encompassing CY23.
Media releases
The housing market where affordability actually remains: Retirement living
The affordability gap between retirement units and the traditional real estate market has widened, with fresh national data shining a light on retirement villages as an affordable housing option in the midst of an affordability crisis across the country.
A rise in couples seeking to downsize
The retirement living industry continues to play an important role in Australia providing safe, purpose-built accommodation at an affordable price for retiring Australians. The industry has exhibited resilience in the face of challenging market conditions with key market indicators remaining relatively steady in a year of financial and social turbulence.
Retirement Living continues to grow in appeal for Australians
The 2021 PwC/Property Council Retirement Census Snapshot Report gives a clear indication that retirement living in Australia has been recognised and valued for its role in keeping residents safe and secure over the past 12 months.
2019 Retirement Census Snapshot Report released
Retirement village living continues to offer affordable, safe and secure housing for older Australians, but regulators should exercise caution on making changes to village ‘buyback’ laws.
2018 Retirement Census confirms vertical and service trends
New data confirms that the Australian retirement living sector is trending towards a greater proportion of vertical communities and a growing number of new developments are providing a wider variety of services to residents than ever before.
Retirement Villages approaching capacity – where will our seniors live?
Occupancy of retirement villages in Australia is close to capacity, highlighting the forthcoming shortage of age appropriate housing for senior Australians in their local communities, according to new data.
Get in touch
Key dates
- 2 April 2024 – data collection starts
- 30 April 2024 – data collection ends – deadline extended to 14 May 2024
- 27 June 2024 – presentation of results at the National Retirement Living Summit
- 30 August 2024 – participating operators receive their personalised report