FOI Reference: FOI/2022/4180
You asked
I am looking to obtain ethnicity data from Census 2021 (not publicly available yet). More specifically, we are looking to acquire data on ethnicity both UK-wide and for Leicestershire. We are only looking to get the percentages of each ethnicity and not any further specific data.
We said
Thank you for your request.
The first results for Census 2021 data on the population of England and Wales will be released on 28 June 2022. We aim to publish all other main Census 2021 data within two years of the census. Census 2021 first results will include rounded population and household estimates for England and for Wales, at local authority level and cross-tabulated by sex and age.
Ethnic group statistics will first be available as a topic summary between autumn to winter 2022. A topic summary is a set of data and supporting commentary, grouped by a similar theme.
More information is available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/census2021outputs/2021dataproducts/topicsummariesandareaprofiles
The information you have requested for Census 2021 data is exempt under Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, whereby information is exempt from release if there is a view to publish the information in the future. Furthermore, as a central government department and producer of official statistics, we need to have the freedom to be able to determine our own publication timetables. This is to allow us to deal with the necessary preparation, administration, and context of publications. It would be unreasonable to consider disclosure when to do so would undermine our functions.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data which is arguably not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before.
When the data is released, it will be available on our website or you can contact Census Customer Services (census.customerservices@ons.gov.uk) for advice.