What will the next census include? ONS consultation

Census consultation: future provision of population statistics

A three month public consultation by Office for National Statistics (ONS) on the Census and future provision of population statistics in England and Wales is underway.
After each census, ONS reviews the future needs for information about the population and housing in England and Wales, and how these needs might be met.

The 2011 Census successfully provided population statistics that will be used for the next decade by planners, policy makers and researchers across the public and private sectors. Our population is changing rapidly, and the need to understand these changes will continue.  The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Beyond 2011 programme is currently reviewing these needs, and how they might best be met in future.

Improvements in technology and in government data sources offer opportunities to either modernise the existing census process, or to develop an alternative census method that reuses existing data already held within government.

Our research has resulted in two approaches for taking the census in future.

•     A census once a decade, like that conducted in 2011, but primarily online.
•     A census using existing government data and compulsory annual surveys.

Both approaches would provide annual statistics about the size of the population, nationally and for local authorities.  A census using existing data and surveys would provide more statistics about the characteristics of the population every year. An online census would provide more detailed statistics once a decade.

The consultation runs from 23 September to 13 December. ONS will publish their findings in 2014.

Read the consultation document via the ONS website and take part in the consultation.

Find out about our consultation events in London and Manchester in November