When is the census and what is it for?
By Eleanor Lawrie
BBC News
- Published
On 21 March, a census will be carried out in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The survey aims to provide a snapshot of life, which can be used by organisations to help make sure they provide the right services for people.
The 2021 census will help us understand how coronavirus has affected everything from our health to our finances, England and Wales' organiser the Office for National Statistics says.
What is a census?
A census is a count of all people and households in an area.
Censuses have been conducted since ancient times, to assess the size of a population and calculate what they need. The first UK census was in 1801.
On one day every 10 years, households are asked to fill in a questionnaire about every person living at the property, including their age, race, occupation and relationship status.
The information gathered provides a snapshot of the population, including its size and the age of people.
This is used by charities and services like hospitals, schools, universities and job centres to plan and fund services including transport, education and healthcare.
When is the 2021 census taking place?
Census day this year will be on Sunday 21 March for households in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The census often takes place in March or April so that field officers have enough daylight to work, but people are less likely to be on holiday.
The Scotland census will now be in March 2022. Coronavirus restrictions mean preparations haven't taken place, the National Records of Scotland said.
What do I have to do?
Every householder must either answer the questions for everyone living there, or make sure each person answers their own.
This year, people are being asked to fill the census out online using an access code sent in the post.
You can do this on a computer, mobile phone or tablet and should submit the survey on Sunday 21 March, or as soon as possible afterwards.
You can also request a paper version online, or over the phone.
Do I have to complete the census?
By law, you must complete or be accounted for in the census.
You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not fill it in, or give false information.
You do not have to answer the questions marked as voluntary.
People staying in the UK for under three months do not have to fill out a census, but everyone else should be covered by one - including students and those who have gone abroad for under a year.
What's different about the census this year?
For the first time, there will be voluntary questions on gender identity and on sexual orientation for over 16s.
In the UK, there are no official figures for those who identify their gender as different from the sex registered at birth. Gathering this information will help develop policy, provide services and improve equality, the ONS says.
Prof Sir Ian Diamond, the UK's National Statistician, has suggested 2021 could be the last census, as he is looking into cheaper and more up-to-date alternatives.
His team will work out whether accurate information could be obtained from other sources such as the Ordnance Survey, GP lists, council tax records and driving licence details.
Combined with regular, large-scale population surveys, this could provide better and more detailed information in a cheaper and more timely way, he says. No decisions have yet been taken.
Will census officers come to your house?
In late March and early April, census field officers may visit your household if you haven't submitted a form.
They will encourage you to complete it and show you how to get further help if needed.
The field officers will be wearing PPE and won't need to enter your house.
When will the 1921 census be released?
While information gathered in censuses is anonymised for service providers to use, the full census isn't made available to the public for 100 years.
Lots of people are keen to read the 1921 census to learn more about their family history.
But that won't be published until early 2022, according to the National Archives.