The number of same-sex couples in Australia has increased by 42% in the past five years, according to the latest census.

According to data from the 2016 census released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Tuesday, the number of same-sex couples who were together on census night was 47,000.

This figure is 42% more than the 33,000 couples who were recorded in the last census in 2011, and an 81% increase from the 26,000 recorded in 2006.

The number of male and female same-sex couples counted was roughly equal, according to the data. Female same-sex couples are five times as likely to have children. Read more via QNews