Today HM Government has commissioned the Office for National Statistics to conduct a mandatory, questionnaire-based, whole-population census of England and Wales in 2031.
This follows the UK Statistics Authority’s recommendation to Government last month for a census as part of system of population and migration statistics which combines the power of data collection and builds on the use of administrative data.
Commenting on the decision, acting National Statistician Emma Rourke said:
“We welcome the Government’s decision to commission a census in 2031 and thank it for its response. The ONS ran a highly successful census in 2021, at a pivotal time for the country and we will build on that for 2031.
“It has been clear from consultation and engagement that the census remains of enormous value for informing the most important decisions facing our country.
“We will work closely with the devolved governments in Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as Welsh Government, to ensure there are coherent population statistics across the UK.”
The ONS has set up a Census Taskforce which has begun scoping plans for 2031, building on Census 2021 and will launch a public consultation later this autumn.
The consultation will gather views on topics that users need from a system of population statistics and inform the development of the census questionnaire.
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For enquiries about the 2031 Census, please contact ONS Media Relations.