UK Census Dates

Here is a list of all the UK censuses taken so far, the exact date they were taken and the availability of the records for your reference.

Plus scroll down to find out how you can reduce the risk of a “Grrr, I’ve just wasted £9.25 on the wrong birth certificate” moment.

What is the census?

The census is a survey of the nation taken by the government every ten years. The data collected is used to provide a total population count and find out who we are and how we live. Its purpose is to help the government plan for public services such as schools and hospitals.

The head of each household or institution is asked to fill in a form to answer questions about the members of their household and the dwelling they occupy. A census has been taken in the UK every ten years since 1801, and from 1841 onwards we can search these records to see where our ancestors were living and who with. To find out more read my beginners guide to the census records.

Why are the census records from 1801 to 1831 not available?

The aim of the first four censuses was just to learn basic population figures. The enumerators were therefore only expected to report a total head count for their area. In order to achieve this they did collect records of individuals in the same way later censuses were taken, but unfortunately for us they were not expected to pass these records on to be kept. Sadly the majority of records listing individuals for these censuses were destroyed. However in some areas some of these records may have been kept and still survive in local record offices.

Why are all the censuses after 1911 protected?

The census returns are closed to the public for 100 years after they were taken to protect the privacy of those recorded. So the last census to be released to the public was the 1911 census, and in 2022 we should be able to get access to the 1921 census.

Why is it useful to know what date the census was taken?

You can get a rough idea of when someone was born simply by subtracting their age recorded in the census from the year the census was taken.

But if we know the exact census date then we can be a lot more accurate in narrowing down a potential birth date.

So if the 1911 census was taken on the 2nd April 1911 and your ancestor is recorded as being 30 years old, then they must have been born between 3rd April 1880 and 2nd April 1881.

If you are looking to order a copy of your ancestor’s birth certificate and you are faced with lots of people with the same name born around the same time, this extra detail could help to narrow down the search.