Preparations are in hand for the 2021 Census, the national exercise held every ten years which provides information for Government use in making decisions, for example in funding of services.

The Census will be held on Sunday 21 March 2021. All households in the country will be asked to answer a set of questions, if possible online, about everyone in that household on that day.

This Census will be digital first but paper copies and support will be available for those that need it. Security is strict, both in handling your data and in making sure the process is COVID-19 safe.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) which runs the census in England and Wales, is independent from Government. Your details are protected by law and information published is always anonymous. The full record is held in a vault for 100 years before it is made available for genealogists.

You will be sent an access code in the post and can fill your return in online as soon as it arrives, in early March. If your household circumstances change on Census Day you can let ONS know.

Guidance on completing the survey will be released in due course and you can find more information at Census 2021