Overview
The census analysis programme is a detailed and comprehensive research programme based on Census 2021 in England and Wales. Alongside the production of basic facts and figures of the population, the programme will produce statistics which highlight issues of public policy concern. The programme includes a wide range of topics, covering a diverse range of sub-populations. Our aim is to provide up-to-date and meaningful analysis that will help users to inform decisions on future policy and services.
Analysis by topic
We have grouped our proposals for Census 2021 analysis by topic. Within each topic, we outline the type of analysis we plan to do and the purpose of this research.
Release schedule
The first year of the Census 2021 analysis programme commenced in 2023. The analysis we publish will be primarily based on the public univariate and multivariate data we release from Census 2021. This is detailed in our Census 2021 release plans. Over this first year, the analysis will describe the fundamental characteristics of the population of England and Wales, across our topic areas. Our analysis plans for 2023 have been updated on our topic pages and additional information will be included once confirmed. Analytical articles were published at the end of January 2023 and further publication dates are available on the release calendar in "Upcoming releases". We intend to confirm publication releases four weeks before publication.
In the second and third year of the analysis programme, we will release more focused analysis from Census 2021 data on the population of England and Wales. At this time, we will focus on more complex analysis that requires us to combine and compare Census 2021 data with other data sources. Examples include the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Longitudinal Study, other government surveys and administrative sources. Where appropriate, we also plan to release UK-wide analysis using data from the 2021 censuses for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the 2022 Census from Scotland. Anonymously linking and comparing these different data sources with Census 2021 data, enables us to produce innovative analysis. The analysis will be used to develop detailed insights into the characteristics of communities and inform future policy and service delivery.
More information
In these analysis plans, we aim to meet the analytical commitments made in the December 2018 Census White Paper. In summer 2021, we consulted on our Census 2021 Analysis programme proposals (PDF 505KB) as part of the public Census 2021 outputs consultation. These proposals and the two-part response to the consultation feedback we received are published on the consultation website.
To find out more about our Census 2021 analysis plans, email us at census.customer.services@ons.gov.uk.