Census 2021 rounded population and household estimates for local authorities in England and Wales, by sex and five-year age group.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Great Britain Historical Database has been assembled as part of the ongoing Great Britain Historical GIS Project. The project aims to trace the emergence of the north-south divide in Britain and to provide a synoptic view of the human geography of Britain at sub-county scales. Further information about the project is available on A Vision of Britain webpages, where users can browse the database's documentation system online.

These data were originally collected by the Censuses of Population for England and Wales, and for Scotland. They were computerised by the Great Britain Historical GIS Project and its collaborators. They form part of the Great Britain Historical Database, which contains a wide range of geographically-located statistics, selected to trace the emergence of the north-south divide in Britain and to provide a synoptic view of the human geography of Britain, generally at sub-county scales.

The first census report to tabulate social class was 1951, but this collection also includes a table from the Registrar-General's 1931 Decennial Supplement which drew on census occupational data to tabulate social class by region. In 1961 and 1971 the census used a more detailed classification of Socio-Economic Groups, from which the five Social Classes are a simplification.

This is a new edition. Data from the Census of Scotland have been added for 1951, 1961 and 1971. Wherever possible, ID numbers have been added for counties and districts which match those used in the digital boundary data created by the GBH GIS, greatly simplifying mapping.

Main Topics:

Social Class Statistics from the 1931 Decennial Supplement for regions.

Social Class Statistics from the 1951, 1961 and 1971 Censuses (including Scotland), mainly for men and type of occupation.

Please note: this study does not include information on named individuals and would therefore not be useful for personal family history research.

This dataset contains gridded human population with a spatial resolution of 1 km x 1 km for the UK based on Census 2021 (Census 2022 for Scotland) and Land Cover Map 2021 input data. Data on population distribution for the United Kingdom is available from statistical offices in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and provided to the public e.g. via the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Population data is typically provided in tabular form or, based on a range of different geographical units, in file types for geographical information systems (GIS), for instance as ESRI Shapefiles. The geographical units reflect administrative boundaries at different levels of detail, from Devolved Administration to Output Areas (OA), wards or intermediate geographies. While the presentation of data on the level of these geographical units is useful for statistical purposes, accounting for spatial variability for instance of environmental determinants of public health requires a more spatially homogeneous population distribution. For this purpose, the dataset presented here combines 2021/2022 UK Census population data on Output Area level with Land Cover Map 2021 land-use classes 'urban' and 'suburban' to create a consistent and comprehensive gridded population data product at 1 km x 1 km spatial resolution. The mapping product is based on British National Grid (OSGB36 datum).

The aim of this project was to create a synthetic dataset without using the original (secure, controlled) dataset to do so, and instead using only publicly available analytical output (i.e. output that was cleared for publication) to create the synthetic data. Such synthetic data may allow users to gain familiarity with and practise on data that is like the original before they gain access to the original data (where time in a secure setting may be limited).

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2011 and Census 2011: Synthetic Data was created without access to the original ASHE-2011 Census dataset (which is only available in a secure setting via the ONS Secure Research Service: "Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings linked to 2011 Census - England and Wales"). It was created as a teaching aid to support a training course "An Introduction to the linked ASHE-2011 Census dataset" organised by Administrative Data Research UK and the National Centre for Research Methods. The synthetic dataset contains a subset of the variables in the original dataset and was designed to reproduce the analytical output contained in the ASHE-Census 2011 Data Linkage User Guide.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The 1961 Census Microdata for Great Britain: 9% Sample: Secure Access dataset was created from existing digital records from the 1961 Census. It comprises a larger population sample than the other files available from the 1961 Census (see below) and so contains sufficient information to constitute personal data, meaning that it is only available to Accredited Researchers, under restrictive Secure Access conditions. See Access section for further details.

The file was created under a project known as Enhancing and Enriching Historic Census Microdata Samples (EEHCM), which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council with input from the Office for National Statistics and National Records of Scotland. The project ran from 2012-2014 and was led from the UK Data Archive, University of Essex, in collaboration with the Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research (CMIST) at the University of Manchester and the Census Offices. In addition to the 1961 data, the team worked on files from the 1971 Census and 1981 Census.

The original 1961 records preceded current data archival standards and were created before microdata sets for secondary use were anticipated. A process of data recovery and quality checking was necessary to maximise their utility for current researchers, though some imperfections remain (see the User Guide for details).

Three other 1961 Census datasets have been created; users should obtain the other datasets in the series first to see whether they are sufficient for their research needs before considering making an application for this study (SN 8275), the Secure Access version:

• SN 8272 - 1961 Census Microdata Individual File for Great Britain: 5% Sample, which contains information on individuals in larger local authorities;
• SN 8273 - 1961 Census Microdata Household File for Great Britain: 0.95% Sample, which links household members together to allow individuals to be understood within their household context. SNs 8272 and 8273 are both available to registered UK Data Service users based in the United Kingdom (see Access section for non-UK access restrictions); and
• SN 8274 - 1961 Census Microdata Teaching Dataset for Great Britain: 1% Sample: Open Access, which can be used as a taster file and is freely available for anyone to download under an Open Government Licence.

Main Topics:

The file contains information on individuals in local authorities and counties. Topics covered include demographics, for example family and household circumstances, employment and qualifications, migration, commuting, car ownership, and housing.

The census is undertaken by the Office for National Statistics every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The most recent census took place in March of 2021.The census asks every household questions about the people who live there and the type of home they live in. In doing so, it helps to build a detailed snapshot of society. Information from the census helps the government and local authorities to plan and fund local services, such as education, doctors' surgeries and roads.Key census statistics for Leicester are published on the open data platform to make information accessible to local services, voluntary and community groups, and residents. There is also a dashboard published showcasing various datasets from the census allowing users to view data for the MSOAs of Leicester and compare this with Leicester overall statistics.Further information about the census and full datasets can be found on the ONS website - https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/aboutcensus/censusproductsCountry of birthThis dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usual residents in England and Wales by their country of birth. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.Definition: The country in which a person was born. For people not born in one of in the four parts of the UK, there was an option to select "elsewhere". People who selected "elsewhere" were asked to write in the current name for their country of birth.

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usual residents in Birmingham by tenure and single year of age. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.Tenure is whether a household owns or rents the accommodation it occupies.CoverageThis dataset is focused on the data for Birmingham at city level. About the 2021 CensusThe Census takes place every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.Protecting personal dataThe ONS sometimes need to make changes to data if it is possible to identify individuals. This is known as statistical disclosure control. In Census 2021, they:Swapped records (targeted record swapping), for example, if a household was likely to be identified in datasets because it has unusual characteristics, they swapped the record with a similar one from a nearby small area. Very unusual households could be swapped with one in a nearby local authority.Added small changes to some counts (cell key perturbation), for example, we might change a count of four to a three or a five. This might make small differences between tables depending on how the data are broken down when they applied perturbation.For more geographies, aggregations or topics see the link in the Reference below. Or, to create a custom dataset with multiple variables use the ONS Create a custom dataset tool.

This file contains the National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL) for the United Kingdom as at May 2024 in Comma Separated Variable (CSV) and ASCII text (TXT) formats. To download the zip file click the Download button. The NSPL relates both current and terminated postcodes to a range of current statutory geographies via ‘best-fit’ allocation from the 2021 Census Output Areas (national parks and Workplace Zones are exempt from ‘best-fit’ and use ‘exact-fit’ allocations) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has the 2011 Census Output Areas

It supports the production of area-based statistics from postcoded data. The NSPL is produced by ONS Geography, who provide geographic support to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and geographic services used by other organisations. The NSPL is issued quarterly. (File size - 195 MB).

The Great Britain Historical Database has been assembled as part of the ongoing Great Britain Historical GIS Project. The project aims to trace the emergence of the north-south divide in Britain and to provide a synoptic view of the human geography of Britain at sub-county scales. Further information about the project is available on A Vision of Britain webpages, where users can browse the database's documentation system online.

The British census reports generally cross-tabulated age against marital status as well as gender, but the transcriptions in the Great Britain Historical Database are generally limited to age and gender, enabling the construction of population pyramids. This dataset is a quite separate transcription limited to marital status, or "conjugal condition", and gender, held only for Scotland in 1931.

Latest edition information

For the second edition (August 2022), the data and documentation files were replaced with updated versions.

A person's age on Census Day, 21 March 2021 in England and Wales.CoverageThis dataset is focused on the data for Birmingham at Ward level. Also available at LSOA, MSOA and Constituency levels.About the 2021 CensusThe Census takes place every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.Protecting personal dataThe ONS sometimes need to make changes to data if it is possible to identify individuals. This is known as statistical disclosure control. In Census 2021, they:

Swapped records (targeted record swapping), for example, if a household was likely to be identified in datasets because it has unusual characteristics, they swapped the record with a similar one from a nearby small area. Very unusual households could be swapped with one in a nearby local authority. Added small changes to some counts (cell key perturbation), for example, we might change a count of four to a three or a five. This might make small differences between tables depending on how the data are broken down when they applied perturbation.For more geographies, aggregations or topics see the link in the Reference below. Or, to create a custom dataset with multiple variables use the ONS Create a custom dataset tool.Population valueThe value column represents All usual residents.The percentage shown is the value as a percentage of All usual residents within the given geography.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The 1981 Census Microdata Teaching Dataset for Great Britain: 1% Sample: Open Access dataset was created from existing digital records from the 1981 Census. It can be used as a 'taster' file for 1981 Census data and is freely available for anyone to download under an Open Government Licence.

The file was created under a project known as Enhancing and Enriching Historic Census Microdata Samples (EEHCM), which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council with input from the Office for National Statistics and National Records of Scotland. The project ran from 2012-2014 and was led from the UK Data Archive, University of Essex, in collaboration with the Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research (CMIST) at the University of Manchester and the Census Offices. In addition to the 1981 data, the team worked on files from the 1961 Census and 1971 Census.

The original 1981 records preceded current data archival standards and were created before microdata sets for secondary use were anticipated. A process of data recovery and quality checking was necessary to maximise their utility for current researchers, though some imperfections remain (see the User Guide for details). Three other 1981 Census datasets have been created:

• SN 8241 - 1981 Census Microdata Individual File for Great Britain: 5% Sample, which contains information on individuals in larger local authorities;
• SN 8242 - 1981 Census Microdata Household File for Great Britain: 0.95% Sample, which links household members together to allow individuals to be understood within their household context. SNs 8241 and 8242 are both available to registered UK Data Service users based in the United Kingdom (see Access section for non-UK access restrictions); and
• SN 8248 - 1981 Census Microdata for Great Britain: 9% Sample: Secure Access, which comprises a larger population sample and so contains sufficient information to constitute personal data, meaning that it is only available to Accredited Researchers, under restrictive Secure Access conditions.

Main Topics:

Topics covered include demographics, for example age, gender, family, marital status, housing tenure, employment and qualifications, and housing tenure.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

This Special Licence access dataset contains names and addresses from the Integrated Census Microdata (I-CeM) dataset of the censuses of Great Britain for the period 1851 to 1911. These data are made available under Special Licence (SL) access conditions due to commercial sensitivity.

The anonymised main I-CeM database that complements these names and addresses is available under SN 7481. It comprises the Censuses of Great Britain for the period 1851-1911; data are available for England and Wales for 1851-1861 and 1881-1911 (1871 is not currently available for England and Wales) and for Scotland for 1851-1901 (1911 is not currently available for Scotland). The database contains over 180 million individual census records and was digitised and harmonised from the original census enumeration books. It details characteristics for all individuals resident in Great Britain at each of the included Censuses. The original digital data has been coded and standardised; the I-CeM database has consistent geography over time and standardised coding schemes for many census variables.

This dataset of names and addresses for individual census records is organised per country (England and Wales; Scotland) and per census year. Within each data file each census record contains first and last name, street address and an individual identification code (RecID) that allows linking with the corresponding anonymised I-CeM record. The data cannot be used for true linking of individual census records across census years for commercial genealogy purposes nor for any other commercial purposes. The SL arrangements are required to ensure that commercial sensitivity is protected. For information on making an application, see the Access section.

The data were updated in February 2020, with some files redeposited with longer field length limits. Users should note that some name and address fields are truncated due to the limits set by the LDS project that transcribed the original data. No more than 10,000 records out of some 210 million across the study should be affected. Examples include:

• England and Wales:
  • 1851 - truncated at the 24th character (maximum I-CeM field length 95 characters)
  • 1881 - truncated at the 16th character (maximum I-CeM field length 50 characters).
• Scotland: for 1851‐71, truncations affect less than 0.01% of all addresses and for 1851 around 1% at most
  • 1851 - truncated at the 70th character
  • 1861 - truncated at the 76th character
  • 1871 - truncated at the 82th character
  • 1881 - truncated at the 50th character.

Further information about I-CeM can be found on the I-CeM Integrated Microdata Project and I-CeM Guide webpages.

Main Topics:

Names, addresses and matching identifiers for the I-CeM database.

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usual residents in Birmingham by ethnic group, by religion, and by age.

Ethnic Group: The ethnic group that the person completing the census feels they belong to. This could be based on their culture, family background, identity or physical appearance. Religion: The religion people connect or identify with (their religious affiliation), whether or not they practise or have belief in it. Age: A person's age on Census Day, 21 March 2021 in England and Wales.CoverageThis dataset is focused on the data for Birmingham at city level. About the 2021 CensusThe Census takes place every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.Protecting personal dataThe ONS sometimes need to make changes to data if it is possible to identify individuals. This is known as statistical disclosure control. In Census 2021, they:Swapped records (targeted record swapping), for example, if a household was likely to be identified in datasets because it has unusual characteristics, they swapped the record with a similar one from a nearby small area. Very unusual households could be swapped with one in a nearby local authority.Added small changes to some counts (cell key perturbation), for example, we might change a count of four to a three or a five. This might make small differences between tables depending on how the data are broken down when they applied perturbation.For more geographies, aggregations or topics see the link in the Reference below. Or, to create a custom dataset with multiple variables use the ONS Create a custom dataset tool.

The Census@Leicester datasets include socio-demographic data from the 2001, 2011, and 2021 Leicester censuses to enable the exploration of recent historical trends. It also includes data from the 2021 census for both Nottingham and Coventry to enable comparisons with other cities.

This online resource that can be used for teaching and research purposes by staff and students and to create a legacy for the Census@Leicester Project.

This dataset shows the population data collected for the 2011 Census mapped against Local Authority Districts. Fields include, total population, break down by sex, households, population in communal living, school boarders and population density for census areas. his data was sourced from the ONS website. http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/index.html It has been combined with the 2011 census area boundary dataset that can also be found on the ONS website. All re-use of this data should acknowledge the OSN as the source of the data. GIS vector data. This dataset was first accessioned in the EDINA ShareGeo Open repository on 2012-12-11 and migrated to Edinburgh DataShare on 2017-02-21.

This dataset shows different breakdowns of London's resident population by their country of birth. Data used comes from ONS' Annual Population Survey (APS). The APS has a sample of around 320,000 people in the UK (around 28,000 in London). As such all figures must be treated with some caution. 95% confidence interval levels are provided. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand and figures for smaller populations have been suppressed. Four files are available for download: Country of Birth - Borough: Shows country of birth estimates in their broad groups such as European Union, South East Asia, North Africa, etc. broken down to borough level. Detailed Country of Birth - London: Shows country of birth estimates for specific countries such as France, Bangladesh, Nigeria, etc. available for London as a whole Demography Update 09-2015: A GLA Demography report that uses APS data to analyse the trends in London for the period 2004 to 2014. A supporting data file is also provided. Country of Birth Borough 2004-2016 Analysis Tool: A tool produced by GLA Demography that allows users to explore different breakdowns of country of birth data. An accompanying Tableau visualisation tool has also been produced which maps data from 2004 to 2015. 2011 Census Country of Birth data can be found here: https://data.london.gov.uk/census/themes/diversity/ Nationality data can be found here: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/nationality Nationality refers to that stated by the respondent during the interview. Country of birth is the country in which they were born. It is possible that an individual’s nationality may change, but the respondent’s country of birth cannot change. This means that country of birth gives a more robust estimate of change over time.

The census is undertaken by the Office for National Statistics every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The most recent census took place in March of 2021.The census asks every household questions about the people who live there and the type of home they live in. In doing so, it helps to build a detailed snapshot of society. Information from the census helps the government and local authorities to plan and fund local services, such as education, doctors' surgeries and roads.Key census statistics for Leicester are published on the open data platform to make information accessible to local services, voluntary and community groups, and residents.There is also a dashboard published showcasing various datasets from the census allowing users to view data for Leicester MSOAs and compare with Leicester overall statistics.Further information about the census and full datasets can be found on the ONS website - https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/aboutcensus/censusproductsAccommodation typeThis dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify households in England and Wales by accommodation type. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.Definition: The type of building or structure used or available by an individual or householdThis could be:the whole house or bungalowa flat, maisonette or apartmenta temporary or mobile structure, such as a caravanMore information about accommodation types:Whole house or bungalow: This property type is not divided into flats or other living accommodation. There are three types of whole houses or bungalows.Detached: None of the living accommodation is attached to another property but can be attached to a garage.Semi-detached: The living accommodation is joined to another house or bungalow by a common wall that they share.Terraced: A mid-terraced house is located between two other houses and shares two common walls. An end-of-terrace house is part of a terraced development but only shares one common wall.Flats (Apartments) and maisonettes: An apartment is another word for a flat. A maisonette is a 2-storey flat.This dataset includes details for Leicester city MSOAs.

The census is undertaken by the Office for National Statistics every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The most recent census took place in March of 2021.The census asks every household questions about the people who live there and the type of home they live in. In doing so, it helps to build a detailed snapshot of society. Information from the census helps the government and local authorities to plan and fund local services, such as education, doctors' surgeries and roads.Key census statistics for Leicester are published on the open data platform to make information accessible to local services, voluntary and community groups, and residents. There is also a dashboard published showcasing various datasets from the census allowing users to view data for Leicester wards and compare this with Leicester overall statistics.Further information about the census and full datasets can be found on the ONS website - https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/aboutcensus/censusproductsTenureThis dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify households in England and Wales by tenure. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.Definition: Whether a household owns or rents the accommodation that it occupies.Owner-occupied accommodation can be:owned outright, which is where the household owns all of the accommodationwith a mortgage or loanpart-owned on a shared ownership schemeRented accommodation can be:private rented (for example, rented through a private landlord or letting agentsocial rented through a local council or housing associationThis information is not available for household spaces with no usual residents.This dataset includes data for Leicester city wards.

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usual residents in England and Wales by their use of a second address, and whether the second address is inside or outside the UK. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021.

Area type

Census 2021 statistics are published for a number of different geographies. These can be large, for example the whole of England, or small, for example an output area (OA), the lowest level of geography for which statistics are produced.

For higher levels of geography, more detailed statistics can be produced. When a lower level of geography is used, such as output areas (which have a minimum of 100 persons), the statistics produced have less detail. This is to protect the confidentiality of people and ensure that individuals or their characteristics cannot be identified.

Coverage

Census 2021 statistics are published for the whole of England and Wales. Data are also available in these geographic types:

• country - for example, Wales
• region - for example, London
• local authority - for example, Cornwall
• health area – for example, Clinical Commissioning Group
• statistical area - for example, MSOA or LSOA

Second address indicator (3 categories)

An address (in or out of the UK) a person stays at for more than 30 days per year that is not their place of usual residence.

Second addresses typically include:

• armed forces bases
• addresses used by people working away from home
• a student’s home address
• the address of another parent or guardian
• a partner’s address
• a holiday home

If a person with a second address was staying there on census night, they were classed as a visitor to the second address but counted as a usual resident at their home address.

The distance, in kilometres, between a person's residential postcode and their workplace postcode measured in a straight line. A distance travelled of 0.1km indicates that the workplace postcode is the same as the residential postcode. Distances over 1200km are treated as invalid, and an imputed or estimated value is added."Work mainly at or from home" is made up of those that ticked either the 'Mainly work at or from home' box for the address of workplace question, or the "Work mainly at or from home" box for the method of travel to work question."Other" includes no fixed place of work, working on an offshore installation and working outside of the UK.Distance is calculated as the straight line distance between the enumeration postcode and the workplace postcode.CoverageThis dataset is focused on the data for Birmingham at Ward level. Also available at LSOA, MSOA and Constituency levels.About the 2021 CensusThe Census takes place every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.Protecting personal dataThe ONS sometimes need to make changes to data if it is possible to identify individuals. This is known as statistical disclosure control. In Census 2021, they:

Swapped records (targeted record swapping), for example, if a household was likely to be identified in datasets because it has unusual characteristics, they swapped the record with a similar one from a nearby small area. Very unusual households could be swapped with one in a nearby local authority. Added small changes to some counts (cell key perturbation), for example, we might change a count of four to a three or a five. This might make small differences between tables depending on how the data are broken down when they applied perturbation.For more geographies, aggregations or topics see the link in the Reference below. Or, to create a custom dataset with multiple variables use the ONS Create a custom dataset tool.Population valueThe value column represents All usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment the week before the census.The percentage shown is the value as a percentage of All usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment the week before the census within the given geography.