Our Regulatory WorkAssessmentCurrent and Future AssessmentsAssessment of 2021 Censuses in the UK
Assessment of 2021 Censuses in the UK
We are carrying out an assessment of the 2021 Censuses, produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the National Records of Scotland (NRS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). We will be assessing the extent to which the Censuses meet the professional standards set out in the statutory Code of Practice for Statistics.
In October 2019, we published our first report as part of the assessment – Assessment of 2021 Censuses in the UK: Preliminary findings. Our report identifies a range of preliminary findings which require action on behalf of Census offices to improve compliance with the Code. These findings build on the existing work being undertaken by Census offices and should provide further direction and focus on existing plans for Census as we move toward Census day in 2021 and beyond.
We plan to publish two subsequent reports:
Summer 2021 – We will consider compliance against the three pillars of the Code, with more focus on Quality and Value. Based on our findings and how census offices respond to any requirements from the assessment report, we will recommend whether the Census outputs should be designated as National Statistics, in accordance with the requirements of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, when they are first released.
Spring 2024 – This final stage of the assessment will be carried out after the Census outputs are published and will involve an assessment of the outputs in light of users' views.
User Views
The Code of Practice covers a wide range of principles around meeting the 'public good' such as the quality of the statistics and their need to add value and insight to users. Capturing the views of users and potential users forms an important part of our judgment about the statistics, including how they could be improved.
Please let us know if you have any views, concerns or positive feedback that you want to share with us.
Email: You can contact us by email at regulation@statistics.gov.uk
Telephone: If you would prefer to speak in person please call Marie McGhee – 01329 447702
Post: You can contact us by post. Our postal address is:
Room 1.075
Statistics House, Cardiff Road
Newport, NP10 8XG
We may want to contact you to discuss your views. Please indicate whether you are happy for us to do so and provide contact details. We will keep a record of your contact details, emails and written correspondence with you and notes we record of any meetings with you. These records form an important part of the evidence base to help inform our regulatory judgements. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle and protect your personal information, your legal rights and who to contact if you have any questions about how your personal information is being used.
We look forward to receiving your comments.