The next census will take place on 27 March 2011.

The census is a count of the population in the UK. It takes place every 10 years and asks everyone the same questions on the same day to give a complete picture of the nation. This information is used to estimate the likely number of people and households in each area for the next 10 years.

In England and Wales the census is planned and carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). ONS produces a wide range of regular, high quality, professional statistics.

The census tells us how many people live in the UK and what types of services they need now and are likely to need in the future. It helps the Government and your local council to allocate funds, decide future policy and plan important services such as transport, housing, health and schools.

Why is it important?

The amount of money that councils have to spend on services for the next 10 years will be based on the number and type of people living in the local area.If everyone does not complete a census form the results won’t show complete information about local communities and a council might not get all the funding it needs.

It tells us about:

Population – to help central government decide how much funding it needs to give to each local and health authority. The authorities then use census data to plan the services within their local areas.

Health and disability – to help plan services and put policies in place to ensure people with disabilities are treated equally.

Housing – to allow central government and local authorities to assess the quality of housing and plan to meet future needs.

Employment – to show how many people work in different occupations and industries to help plan jobs and training policies.

Ethnic groups – to help central government allocate resources and monitor policies to ensure that all groups are treated equally.

Transport – to help understand the pressures on our transport systems and improve planning for roads and public transport. 

               

Government and local authorities depend on our information to help make sure you get the services you need in your community. And that means asking questions of a lot of people. We want everyone to take part in helping tomorrow take shape. This is your chance to make a difference.