Census in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom
every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 (during the Second World War
) and in both Northern Ireland
and the Irish Free State
in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands
and the Isle of Man
, with the returns being archived with those of England
. In addition to providing detailed information about national demographics
, the results of the census play an important part in the calculation of resource allocation to regional and local service providers by the governments of both the United Kingdom and European Union
.
(parts of what is now Scotland
and Northern Ireland
) was the first territory in what is now the UK to conduct a census, with what was called the "Tradition of the Men of Alba
" (Senchus fer n-Alban
). England
took its first Census when the Domesday Book
was compiled in 1086 for tax purposes.
Distinct from earlier censuses with lesser inclusion (e.g. for religious purposes), national decennial censuses of the general population of the UK started in 1801, championed by John Rickman
. The censuses were initially conducted partly to ascertain the number of men able to fight in the Napoleonic Wars
, and partly over population concerns stemming from the 1798 work An Essay on the Principle of Population
by Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus. Rickman's 12 reasons - set out in 1798 and repeated in Parliamentary debates - for conducting a UK census included the following justifications:
Regular national censuses have taken place every ten years since 1801, most recently in 2011 (see United Kingdom Census 2011
); other partial censuses have been made on some of the intervening fifth anniversaries. The first four censuses (1801–1831) were mainly statistical. That is, mainly headcounts that contained virtually no personal information. A small number of older records exist in local record offices as by-products of the notes made by enumerators in the production of those earlier censuses, these might list all persons or just the heads of households. The 1841 Census was the first to intentionally record names of all individuals in a household or institution.
In 1920 the Census Act 1920
was passed, which has provided the legal framework for conducting all censuses in Great Britain (Scotland, England, and Wales) since. The primary legislation for Northern Ireland was introduced in 1969
.
Because of World War II
, there was no census in 1941. However, following the passage into law (on 5 September 1939) of the National Registration Act 1939
a population count was carried out on 29 September 1939. The resulting National Register was later used to develop the NHS Central Register.
Censuses were taken on 26 April 1931 in Great Britain but the returns for England and Wales were destroyed by fire (in an accident and not after bombing) during the Second World War.
On 24 April 1966, the UK trialled an alternative method of enumeration - long form/short form. Every household was given a short form to complete, while a sample of the population was given a long form to collect more detail. The short form was used for the population count and to collect basic information such as usual address, sex, age and relationships to other household members. This was the first and only time that a five-yearly census was carried out in the UK.
) website. A number of datasets are also made available.
Public access to the individual census returns in England and Wales is normally restricted under the terms of the 100-year rule (Lord Chancellor
's Instrument no.12, issued in 1966 under S.5 (1) of the Public Records Act 1958
) and until very recently, returns made available to researchers were those of the United Kingdom Census 1901
.
Some argue that ministers and civil servants in England and Wales made no attempts to strictly enforce the 100-year census closure policy until 2005, five years after the Freedom of Information Act 2000
was passed, which—they argue—effectively abolished the 100-year rule. However, personal information provided in confidence is likely exempted if disclosure could result in successful prosecution for breach of confidence. Freedom of Information Act 2000, Section 41 http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/decisionnotices/2006/101391_dn_rt_changes.pdf
The 1911 census for England and Wales is now available at www.1911census.co.uk http://www.1911census.co.uk/ powered by Findmypast.co.uk
and in association with the National Archives. The census was taken on Sunday 2 April 1911 and includes more details than on previous census.
To avoid a repeat of the system overload when the 1901 census went online, a high-capacity web service was developed. A free searchable database helps users find ancestors. A charge is made to view and download a copy of the original census document.
In exceptional circumstances the Registrar General
for England and Wales does release specific information from 70-, 80-, or 90-year old closed censuses.
The 1901 and 1911 censuses for Ireland (then part of the UK) have been available for inspection since 1960, as they became Irish records following the creation of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State and are thus beyond the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. No census was taken in 1921, due to the ongoing War of Independence. The first census taken in the then Irish Free State
was in 1926; the first Northern Ireland census http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census/censushistory/censusireland.html was on 18 April 1926, coincident with the first Irish Free State census. No census took place in Northern Ireland in 1931.
In June 2010, the 1901 census of Ireland became available on the internet. The 1911 Census data is also available online.
legislates a fine of up to £1,000 for those who refuse to complete it.
During some censuses, significant numbers of people intentionally did not participate for political reasons. In 1911, the Women's Freedom League
, a suffragette
organisation campaigning for female suffrage in the United Kingdom, organised a boycott of the census of that year. They encouraged women to go to all-night parties or to stay at friends' houses to avoid the census. In 1991, many people again avoided the census, which was conducted during the time of the poll tax
, in case the government used it to enforce the widely-despised tax. It was estimated that up to one million people were not counted by the 1991 census due to such aversion.
The first SAR was released in 1991. In 2001, the SAR system was extended, and consultations are currently underway for the release of SARs from the 2011 census.
was the first in which the government asked about religion on the main census form. New legislation was enacted through the Census (Amendment) Act 2000
to allow the question to be asked, and to make its response optional. Perhaps encouraged by a chain letter that started in New Zealand
, 390,000 people entered their religion as "Jedi Knight
", with some areas registering up to 2.6% of people as Jedi. Thus, "Jedi" was the fourth-largest reported religion in the country.(See: Jedi census phenomenon
).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 (during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) and in both Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, with the returns being archived with those of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In addition to providing detailed information about national demographics
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
, the results of the census play an important part in the calculation of resource allocation to regional and local service providers by the governments of both the United Kingdom and European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
History
In the 7th century, Dál RiataDál Riata
Dál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...
(parts of what is now Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) was the first territory in what is now the UK to conduct a census, with what was called the "Tradition of the Men of Alba
Alba
Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.- Etymology :The term first appears in...
" (Senchus fer n-Alban
Senchus fer n-Alban
The Senchus Fer n-Alban is an Old Irish medieval text, believed to have been compiled in the 10th century. It may have been derived from earlier documents of the 7th century which are presumed to have been written in Latin...
). England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
took its first Census when the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
was compiled in 1086 for tax purposes.
Distinct from earlier censuses with lesser inclusion (e.g. for religious purposes), national decennial censuses of the general population of the UK started in 1801, championed by John Rickman
John Rickman
John Rickman was an English government official and statistician of the early nineteenth century.He was born in Newburn, Northumberland, son of the Rev Thomas Rickman and educated at Guildford Grammar School, Magdalen Hall, Oxford and Lincoln College, Oxford...
. The censuses were initially conducted partly to ascertain the number of men able to fight in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, and partly over population concerns stemming from the 1798 work An Essay on the Principle of Population
An Essay on the Principle of Population
The book An Essay on the Principle of Population was first published anonymously in 1798 through J. Johnson . The author was soon identified as The Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus. While it was not the first book on population, it has been acknowledged as the most influential work of its era...
by Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus. Rickman's 12 reasons - set out in 1798 and repeated in Parliamentary debates - for conducting a UK census included the following justifications:
- 'the intimate knowledge of any country must form the rational basis of legislation and diplomacy'
- 'an industrious population is the basic power and resource of any nation, and therefore its size needs to be known'
- 'the number of men who were required for conscription to the militia in different areas should reflect the area's population'
- 'there were defence reasons for wanting to know the number of seamen'
- 'the need to plan the production of corn and thus to know the number of people who had to be fed'
- 'a census would indicate the Government's intention to promote the public good' and
- 'the life insurance industry would be stimulated by the results.'
Regular national censuses have taken place every ten years since 1801, most recently in 2011 (see United Kingdom Census 2011
United Kingdom Census 2011
The most recent census of the United Kingdom, known as the 2011 census, took place on 27 March 2011, a decade after the previous census. It was conducted on the same day in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to ensure coherence and consistency...
); other partial censuses have been made on some of the intervening fifth anniversaries. The first four censuses (1801–1831) were mainly statistical. That is, mainly headcounts that contained virtually no personal information. A small number of older records exist in local record offices as by-products of the notes made by enumerators in the production of those earlier censuses, these might list all persons or just the heads of households. The 1841 Census was the first to intentionally record names of all individuals in a household or institution.
In 1920 the Census Act 1920
Census Act 1920
The Census Act 1920 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Providing for a census for Great Britain , on a date to be fixed by Order in Council, it remains the primary legislation for the provision of the UK census in England, Scotland, and Wales...
was passed, which has provided the legal framework for conducting all censuses in Great Britain (Scotland, England, and Wales) since. The primary legislation for Northern Ireland was introduced in 1969
Census Act (Northern Ireland) 1969
The Census Act 1969 was an Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, passed 24 June 1969. It enabled ministers to order a census of population in Northern Ireland at intervals of five years or more. The Act shares similarities with the Census Act 1920 which provides for censuses in England,...
.
Because of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, there was no census in 1941. However, following the passage into law (on 5 September 1939) of the National Registration Act 1939
National Registration Act 1939
The National Registration Act 1939 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It became law on 5 September 1939 as an emergency measure at the start of World War II...
a population count was carried out on 29 September 1939. The resulting National Register was later used to develop the NHS Central Register.
Censuses were taken on 26 April 1931 in Great Britain but the returns for England and Wales were destroyed by fire (in an accident and not after bombing) during the Second World War.
On 24 April 1966, the UK trialled an alternative method of enumeration - long form/short form. Every household was given a short form to complete, while a sample of the population was given a long form to collect more detail. The short form was used for the population count and to collect basic information such as usual address, sex, age and relationships to other household members. This was the first and only time that a five-yearly census was carried out in the UK.
England and Wales
The government undertakes the census for policy and planning purposes, and publishes the results in printed reports and on the ONS (Office for National StatisticsOffice for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
) website. A number of datasets are also made available.
Public access to the individual census returns in England and Wales is normally restricted under the terms of the 100-year rule (Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
's Instrument no.12, issued in 1966 under S.5 (1) of the Public Records Act 1958
Public Records Act 1958
The Public Records Act 1958 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom forming the main legislation governing public records in the United Kingdom....
) and until very recently, returns made available to researchers were those of the United Kingdom Census 1901
United Kingdom Census 1901
A nationwide census was conducted in England and Wales on 31 March 1901. It contains records for 32 million people and 6 million houses, It covers the whole of England and Wales, with the exception of parts of Deal in Kent. Separate censuses were held in Scotland and Ireland...
.
Some argue that ministers and civil servants in England and Wales made no attempts to strictly enforce the 100-year census closure policy until 2005, five years after the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that creates a public "right of access" to information held by public authorities. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom on a national level...
was passed, which—they argue—effectively abolished the 100-year rule. However, personal information provided in confidence is likely exempted if disclosure could result in successful prosecution for breach of confidence. Freedom of Information Act 2000, Section 41 http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/decisionnotices/2006/101391_dn_rt_changes.pdf
The 1911 census for England and Wales is now available at www.1911census.co.uk http://www.1911census.co.uk/ powered by Findmypast.co.uk
Find My Past
Find My Past is a leading UK-based online genealogy service owned by UK company Brightsolid. It was awarded the Queen's Award for Innovation in 2007. In October 2011 Find My Past used the new UK product placement legislation opportunites by sponsoring a genealogy TV series...
and in association with the National Archives. The census was taken on Sunday 2 April 1911 and includes more details than on previous census.
To avoid a repeat of the system overload when the 1901 census went online, a high-capacity web service was developed. A free searchable database helps users find ancestors. A charge is made to view and download a copy of the original census document.
In exceptional circumstances the Registrar General
Registrar General
General Register Office, in England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and many Commonwealth nations, is the government agency responsible for civil registration - the recording of vital records such as births, deaths, and marriages...
for England and Wales does release specific information from 70-, 80-, or 90-year old closed censuses.
Scotland
National Censuses in Scotland have been taken on the same dates as those in England and Wales but with differing legislation, governorship and archiving arrangements; the 2001 census was the first to be taken under full domestic control while the preceding censuses since 1861 had been under the control of the Registrar General for Scotland http://scotlandscensus.wordpress.com/. The 19th century Scottish censuses were all released after 50–80 years of closure. The 1901 census was made available to the public after the 100th anniversary day and the same goes for the 1911 census. Unlike the Census for England and Wales there was a statutory bar on early release of the 1911 census details.Ireland and Northern Ireland
Censuses http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/help/history.html before 1901 have not generally survived for reasons blamed on a mixture of official incompetence (the 1881 and 1891 returns were pulped without it being appreciated that, unlike other parts of the UK, they had not been transcribed into books), non-retention (1861 and 1871) and the remainder during a fire in the Civil War.The 1901 and 1911 censuses for Ireland (then part of the UK) have been available for inspection since 1960, as they became Irish records following the creation of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State and are thus beyond the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. No census was taken in 1921, due to the ongoing War of Independence. The first census taken in the then Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
was in 1926; the first Northern Ireland census http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census/censushistory/censusireland.html was on 18 April 1926, coincident with the first Irish Free State census. No census took place in Northern Ireland in 1931.
In June 2010, the 1901 census of Ireland became available on the internet. The 1911 Census data is also available online.
Coverage
In 2001 the form in England and Wales was filled in by 94 per cent of the population, with a further 4 per cent identified by the census enumerators, though the results still represent 100 per cent of the population through the use of cross-matching with a follow-up survey. The Census Act 1920Census Act 1920
The Census Act 1920 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Providing for a census for Great Britain , on a date to be fixed by Order in Council, it remains the primary legislation for the provision of the UK census in England, Scotland, and Wales...
legislates a fine of up to £1,000 for those who refuse to complete it.
During some censuses, significant numbers of people intentionally did not participate for political reasons. In 1911, the Women's Freedom League
Women's Freedom League
The Women's Freedom League was an organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigned for women's suffrage and sexual equality.The group was founded in 1907 by seventy members of the Women's Social and Political Union including Teresa Billington-Greig, Charlotte Despard, Elizabeth How-Martyn, and...
, a suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
organisation campaigning for female suffrage in the United Kingdom, organised a boycott of the census of that year. They encouraged women to go to all-night parties or to stay at friends' houses to avoid the census. In 1991, many people again avoided the census, which was conducted during the time of the poll tax
Community Charge
The Community Charge, popularly known as the "poll tax", was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of the rates to part fund local government in Scotland from 1989, and England and Wales from 1990. It provided for a single flat-rate per-capita tax on every adult, at a rate set by the...
, in case the government used it to enforce the widely-despised tax. It was estimated that up to one million people were not counted by the 1991 census due to such aversion.
Data sets
Samples of Anonymised Records (SARs) are UK data-sets consisting of samples of individual records from national censuses. These very large datasets resemble survey data and are used for a range of applications by social scientists and policymakers.The first SAR was released in 1991. In 2001, the SAR system was extended, and consultations are currently underway for the release of SARs from the 2011 census.
2001
Although the 1851 census had included a question about religion on a separate response sheet, whose completion was not compulsory, the 2001 censusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
was the first in which the government asked about religion on the main census form. New legislation was enacted through the Census (Amendment) Act 2000
Census (Amendment) Act 2000
The Census Act 2000 was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It gained Royal Assent on the 28th July 2000....
to allow the question to be asked, and to make its response optional. Perhaps encouraged by a chain letter that started in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, 390,000 people entered their religion as "Jedi Knight
Jedi
The Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
", with some areas registering up to 2.6% of people as Jedi. Thus, "Jedi" was the fourth-largest reported religion in the country.(See: Jedi census phenomenon
Jedi census phenomenon
The Jedi census phenomenon is a grassroots movement that was initiated in 2001 for residents of a number of English-speaking countries, urging them to record their religion as "Jedi" or "Jedi Knight" on the national census.It is believed the majority of self-reported Jedi claimed the religion for...
).
2011
The UK's most recent national census took place on 27 March 2011. Several identity and status options were included for the first time in the census, including options relating to civil partnerships.2021
The next UK census to take place will be conducted in March 2021.Dates of UK censuses
| Year | Date | Notes | New questions asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 10 March | Details collected were mainly head-counts, with few still existing. | |
| 1811 | 27 May | Details collected were mainly head-counts, with few still existing. | |
| 1821 | 28 May | Details collected were mainly head-counts, with few still existing. | |
| 1831 | 30 May | Details collected were mainly head-counts, with few still existing. | |
| 1841 United Kingdom Census 1841 The United Kingdom Census of 1841 recorded the occupants of every UK household on the night of 6 June, 1841. It was described as the "first modern census" in that it was the first to record information about every member of the household and because it was administered as a single event, under... |
6 June | Name. Age (for those over 15, this was supposed to be rounded down to the nearest 5 years, though this instruction was not obeyed in all cases). Occupation. Whether born "in county" (i. e. the same as where currently living), elsewhere in the UK, or in "Foreign Parts". | |
| 1851 United Kingdom Census 1851 The United Kingdom Census of 1851 recorded the people residing in every household on the night of 30 March 1851, and was the second of the UK censuses to include details of household members... |
30 March | Relation to head of the household. Marital status. Place of birth. Whether blind, deaf or dumb. Language spoken (Ireland http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/SESLL/STELLA/STARN/lang/GAELIC/focus.htm). Rounding down of ages dropped. | |
| 1861 United Kingdom Census 1861 The United Kingdom Census of 1861 recorded the people residing in every household on the night of 7 April 1861, and was the third of the UK censuses to include details of household members.-See also:*Census in the United Kingdom... |
7 April | ||
| 1871 | 2 April | Economic status. Whether an imbecile Imbecile Imbecile is a term for moderate to severe mental retardation, as well as for a type of criminal. It arises from the Latin word imbecillus, meaning weak, or weak-minded. "Imbecile" was once applied to people with an IQ of 26-50, between "moron" and "idiot" .The term was further refined into mental... , idiot or lunatic Lunatic "Lunatic" is a commonly used term for a person who is mentally ill, dangerous, foolish, unpredictable; a condition once called lunacy. The word derives from lunaticus meaning "of the moon" or "moonstruck".-Lunar hypothesis:... (note that such usage of terms predates euphemistic definitions; see euphemism treadmill). |
|
| 1881 | 3 April | Language spoken (in Scotland http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/SESLL/STELLA/STARN/lang/GAELIC/focus.htm). | |
| 1891 | 5 April | Language spoken (in Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... ). Whether an employer, an employee, or neither. Number of rooms occupied, if fewer than 5. |
|
| 1901 United Kingdom Census 1901 A nationwide census was conducted in England and Wales on 31 March 1901. It contains records for 32 million people and 6 million houses, It covers the whole of England and Wales, with the exception of parts of Deal in Kent. Separate censuses were held in Scotland and Ireland... |
31 March | Number of rooms in dwelling. Whether an employer, worker or working on one's own account. Whether working at home or not. Language spoken (children under 3 years of age excluded) (in Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... ). |
|
| 1911 | 2 April | Industry or service with which the worker is connected. How long the couple has been married. How many children were born alive, how many who are still alive, and how many who have died. | |
| 1921 | 19 June | Place of work and industry Whether a marriage has been dissolved by divorce. | |
| 1931 | 26 April | England and Wales - destroyed in 1942 fire; Northern Ireland - no census. | Place of usual residence |
| 1939 | 29 September | National Registration Act 1939 National Registration Act 1939 The National Registration Act 1939 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It became law on 5 September 1939 as an emergency measure at the start of World War II... . No census in 1941 due to the Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... . |
|
| 1951 | 8 April | Household amenities. | |
| 1961 | 23 April | Qualifications, migration, household tenure. | |
| 1966 | 24 April | Long-form/short-form census, trialling an alternative method of enumeration. | Car ownership, method of travel to work. |
| 1971 | 25 April | ||
| 1981 | 5 April | ||
| 1991 United Kingdom Census 1991 A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 1991, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 21 April 1991. This was the 19th UK census.... |
21 April | Ethnic group, long-term limiting illness, central heating, term-time address of students. | |
| 2001 United Kingdom Census 2001 A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194.... |
29 April | Size of workforce, supervisor status, first question on religion on the main census form (England, Wales, and Scotland). | |
| 2011 United Kingdom Census 2011 The most recent census of the United Kingdom, known as the 2011 census, took place on 27 March 2011, a decade after the previous census. It was conducted on the same day in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to ensure coherence and consistency... |
27 March | An option to complete the form online. Also provided English English people The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens... , Northern Irish, Scottish Scottish people The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,... , Welsh Welsh people The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have... and British British people The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants... national identity option following criticism that English and Welsh were absent from 2001. |
Includes questions relevant to civil partnerships Civil Partnership Act 2004 The Civil Partnership Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Bill for this Act was introduced by the Labour government and supported by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat opposition. The Act grants civil partnerships in the United Kingdom with rights and... . Other new questions involve asking migrants their date of arrival and how long they intend to stay in the UK; respondents also required to disclose which passport Passport A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth.... s they held. A rehearsal census was conducted on 11 October 2009. |
See also
- List of United Kingdom censuses
- Demography of the United Kingdom
- Jedi census phenomenonJedi census phenomenonThe Jedi census phenomenon is a grassroots movement that was initiated in 2001 for residents of a number of English-speaking countries, urging them to record their religion as "Jedi" or "Jedi Knight" on the national census.It is believed the majority of self-reported Jedi claimed the religion for...
- Census Act 1920Census Act 1920The Census Act 1920 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Providing for a census for Great Britain , on a date to be fixed by Order in Council, it remains the primary legislation for the provision of the UK census in England, Scotland, and Wales...
- Census Enumerators' BooksCensus Enumerators' BooksDuring the decennial England and Wales Censuses of 1841 to 1901, the individual schedules returned from each household were transcribed and collated by the census enumerators into Census Enumerators’ Books ....
(historical) - Census of Ireland, 1911Census of Ireland, 1911The Census of Ireland, 1911, was a census that covered Ireland, and was conducted on Sunday 2 April 1911 as part of a broader Census of the United Kingdom. A census of Ireland had taken place every ten years beginning in 1821 until 1911. The next census would not take place until 1926 due to the...
- Citizen Information ProjectCitizen Information ProjectIn the United Kingdom, the Citizen Information Project was a plan by the Office for National Statistics to build a national population register....
External links
- The Office for National Statistics, which is responsible for the Census in England and Wales
- The Census Order 2000 (England & Wales)
- The National Archives - selective access information to UK census data.
- The Census Office for Northern Ireland
- The General Register Office for Scotland which has been responsible for the taking of the census in Scotland since 1861.
- The British Census (Concepts and Techniques in Modern Geography)
- The UK Census of Population 1981 (Concepts and Techniques in Modern Geography)
- The UK Census of Population 1991 (Concepts and Techniques in Modern Geography)
- Census.ac.uk - free census resources for academic research in the UK.
- Official archived version of 2011 census website (www.census.gov.uk)
- Census Finder- Directory of free-to-access online UK census records.
- My Family Ancestors - List of mainly free-to-access census records from 1801 to 1901