First release of 2011 Census statistics for the United Kingdom
The UK population was 63,182,000 in 2011. This is the first population estimate for the UK to be produced from all three 2011 Censuses, which were conducted on 27 March 2011. This release includes estimates of the usually resident population of the UK and its constituent countries, by sex and five-year age band.
This bulletin follows the first release of statistics for
England and Wales
and for
Northern Ireland
on 16 July 2012 and for
Scotland
on 17 December 2012. The availability of 2011 Census population estimates for all four constituent countries now allows for the publication of UK level estimates.
Due to the breadth and depth of census data, results from the 2011 Census are being released in stages. Subsequent releases of UK census data will be available as soon as all constituent country data are available. An outline of the timetable for subsequent UK releases has been published via the
2011 Census prospectus (754.4 Kb Pdf)
.
Statement of Agreement of the National Statistician and the Registrars General for Scotland and Northern Ireland
The
Statement of Agreement (65.7 Kb Pdf)
of the National Statistician and the Registrars General for Scotland and Northern Ireland sets out the principles for ensuring that the independent censuses carried out in each constituent country of the UK will be able to provide consistent and high quality statistics, that meet user requirements for UK level data. In summary, the agreement specified:
That each census would be held on the same date, 27 March 2011.
The use of a common main population base for outputs of usual residents.
A common design for the census questionnaires.
The use of common definitions and classifications.
Harmonised final outputs to ensure consistent, coherent and accessible statistics.
Some questions and procedures, for the separate countries, inevitably reflected local issues ? for example in Wales the census could be completed in Welsh, either on paper or online, whilst in Scotland it could be completed (online) in Gaelic.
About the census
The censuses for Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland) were taken every ten years back to 1801. Decennial censuses were held in Ireland from 1841 through to 1911. There was no census in Ireland in 1921, and following this, the first Northern Irish census was in 1926, with the second Northern Ireland census in 1937, then every ten years from 1951. There was no census undertaken throughout the UK in 1941 due to the Second World War.
Census statistics describe the characteristics of the population that live in an area, such as how many men and women there are and their ages, religion, ethnic group, education level and occupations. This first release is for population estimates by sex and five-year age band only. Subsequent releases will provide more detailed statistics for other variables.
The census population estimates were extensively quality assured using both national and local sources of information for comparison and review. The 2011 Census provides a high quality estimate of the population that people can use with confidence.
Further information about the methodology and quality assurance processes for the 2011 Censuses in
England and Wales
,
Scotland
and
Northern Ireland
are available from their respective websites.
Operational details
Questionnaires were distributed to all areas of the UK, by either post or hand. Respondents also had the opportunity to respond online. The questionnaires across the four countries of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) were of a consistent design that enables harmonised UK outputs to be produced.
The 2011 Censuses conducted across the UK give an estimate of the total population. A good response was achieved to the 2011 Census but inevitably some people were missed. The issue of under coverage in a census is one that affects census takers everywhere and methods and processes were designed to address this.
Census coverage surveys were carried out to measure under coverage in a sample of areas and based on this, with rigorous estimation methods, the census population counts were adjusted for under and over coverage to produce population estimates that represent 100 per cent of the usually resident population in all areas.
The questionnaires, operational methods, and statistical processes were designed by each census office to best reflect local circumstances and needs. These differences are set within a wider picture of harmonised questions, operations, methods, and outputs, to give UK data. Further details of how the censuses were undertaken can be found on each census office website.
The data in context
Census statistics are used to understand similarities and differences in the characteristics of local, regional and national populations. This information underpins the allocation of billions of pounds of public money around the UK to provide services like education, transport and health, determining, for example, the growing or diminishing demand for education or health services in an area.
The size and make up of the population is also of interest to commercial companies, special interest groups, academia, and the general public. Decisions are taken every day using census statistics. These can be as local as the number of car parking spaces needed at supermarkets, to wider programmes, for example, where to target government training schemes.
Publication of the 2011 UK Census population statistics on a consistent basis facilitates analysis and decision taking across the whole of the UK. This helps users who have a UK wide interest. As well as financial allocations to the Scottish Government, National Assembly for Wales, and Northern Ireland Assembly, international bodies such as the European Union (EU) and the United Nations require statistics for the United Kingdom as a whole.
Within the EU regional funding and contributions, and qualified majority voting allocations are made on the basis of population levels. UK Census population estimates also underpin population projections for the UK, by ONS, Eurostat, and other organisations. Provision of consistent population data is also the first step towards meeting the UK’s legal obligations to provide 2011 UK Census data to Eurostat (the statistics arm of the EU).
The statistics in this release are used as a baseline for the 2011 mid-year population estimates for the UK and its constituent countries. The mid-year estimates refer to the population on 30 June of the reference year and are published annually; updating census data with information on births, deaths, and migration. In due course the UK mid-year population estimates for 2002-2010 will be re-based to take into account the additional information that the 2011 Census has provided about how the population of the UK has changed during the decade.
Mid-2011 population estimates based on the 2011 Census, and which take into account population change between 27 March and 30 June, were published on 25 September 2012 for
England and Wales
. These will be published in due course for the rest of the UK.
Notes for Introduction
- For the 2011 Census, a usual resident of the UK is anyone who, on census day 2011, was in the UK and had stayed or intended to stay in the UK for a period of 12 months or more, or had a permanent UK address and was outside the UK and intended to be outside the UK for less than 12 months.
Back to table of contents