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.

The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in England and Wales, the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). Detailed results by region, council area, ward and output area are available from their respective websites.

Organisation

Similar to previous UK censuses, the 2001 census was organised by the three statistical agencies, ONS, GROS, and NISRA, and coordinated at the national level by the Office for National Statistics. The Orders in Council to conduct the census, specifying the people and information to be included in the census, were made under the authority of the Census Act 1920 in Great Britain, and the Census Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 in Northern Ireland. In England and Wales these regulations were made by the Census Order 2000 (SI 744/2000), in Scotland by the Census (Scotland) Order 2000 (SSI 68/2000), and in Northern Ireland by the Census Order (Northern Ireland) 2000 (SRNI 168/2000).

United Kingdom Census 2011

A census of the population of the United Kingdom is taken every ten years. The 2011 census was held in all countries of the UK on 27 March 2011. It was the first UK census which could be completed online via the Internet. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for the census in England and Wales, the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) is responsible for the census in Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) is responsible for the census in Northern Ireland.

The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department formed in 2008 and which reports directly to Parliament. ONS is the UK Government's single largest statistical producer of independent statistics on the UK's economy and society, used to assist the planning and allocation of resources, policy-making and decision-making. ONS designs, manages and runs the census in England and Wales. In its capacity as the national statistics office for the United Kingdom, ONS also compiles and releases census tables for the United Kingdom when the data from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are complete.

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.

Census 1991 was organised by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in England and Wales, the General Register Office for Scotland and the Census Office for Northern Ireland. Detailed results by region, council area, ward and output area are available from their respective websites. The cost of the census was estimated at £140m, or around £7 per household. 117,500 enumerators were employed to assist with collection of census forms in Great Britain.

The 1991 census was the first UK census to have a question on ethnic group. Other new questions were on limiting long-term illness and term-time address for students. A question about central heating replaced the previously used question on outside toilets.

The census was also noted for a significant undercount of the population. Despite being compulsory, a total of 572,000 people failed to respond to both the census form and follow-up interviews, 220,000 of them being males aged 20 to 29. It has been suggested that part of the lack of response could be due to people attempting to avoid registration for the poll tax.

United Kingdom Census 2021

The UK Statistics Authority announced on 27 March 2014 that it has recommended to the United Kingdom Government that the next census in England and Wales should take place in 2021, a decade after the previous census in March 2011. The National Records of Scotland also reported on the same date that it was proposing to the Scottish Government that a census in Scotland should also take place in 2021. In October 2014 the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), which is responsible for the census in Northern Ireland, published its proposals to conduct a census in 2021. These announcements followed on from a series of co-ordinated research projects known collectively as the Beyond 2011 Programme.

The UK Statistics Authority, which coordinates the United Kingdom census, has proposed that the 2021 census should be conducted predominantly online and be supplemented by the use of administrative and survey data. Legislation will be required by the Westminster government and devolved administrations.