2011 Census of Population: background

Information from the 2011 Census released for the 573 parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales is set out in a Research Paper (RP13/20) Census 2011 Constituency results: England and Wales that was published on 18 March 2013.

This Standard Note supplements the main results in that Research Paper. In particular it looks at:

• the history of the Census,

• he legislation governing the Census,

• the detailed reviews of the 2001 Census and the resulting changes in how the 2011 Census was carried out,

• the preparations for the 2011 Census,

• the questions asked (and not asked),

• the cost of the Census,

• the different approaches to the conduct of the Census in Scotland and Northern Ireland,

• the response rate. and

• whether or not there will be a Census in 2021.