2001 United Kingdom census

A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194.

The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in England and Wales, the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). It helped leaders and planners understand where people lived, their ages, jobs, and other important details. Detailed results by region, council area, ward and output area are available from their websites. This information is valuable for making decisions about schools, hospitals, and services for everyone.

Organisation

The 2001 census in the United Kingdom was organized by three statistical agencies: the Office for National Statistics, the General Register Office for Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The census used forms that people filled out and sent by mail. Most people returned their forms this way, with help from staff who visited those who did not send them back.

The census took place during a difficult time because of a disease affecting animals, but it still succeeded in gathering important information. The process involved many people and careful steps to make sure everything was recorded correctly.

Enumeration

The 2001 United Kingdom census aimed to count everyone living in the country. The response rate—the percentage of people who filled out their forms—was high, at about 94% in England and Wales, 96.1% in Scotland, and 95.2% in Northern Ireland. Some areas had lower response rates, like Kensington and Chelsea at 64%, and Hackney at 72%, both in London. Even in these places, census workers and follow-up surveys helped make sure everyone's count was included.

One Number Census

The results from the 2001 census used a method called the One Number Census. This method tried to improve the census numbers by adjusting them and filling in missing answers. It helped to get a more accurate count of how many people lived in the UK by using information from a survey of 320,000 households.

Religion

For the first time in Great Britain, the 2001 census asked people about their religion on the main form. This was made possible by a change in the law called the Census (Amendment) Act 2000. One fun outcome was the Jedi census phenomenon, where many people jokingly said their religion was Jedi. In England and Wales, over 390,000 people chose Jedi, and in Scotland, about 14,000 did the same.

Most people in the UK said they were Christian, with around 72% choosing this. Other religions included Muslim at 3%, Hindu at 1%, Sikh at 0.6%, Jewish at 0.5%, and Buddhist at 0.3%. About 15% said they had no religion, and 8% did not answer the question.

Ethnicity

The 2001 United Kingdom census asked people to describe their ethnicity by choosing from several groups. These included White (such as British, Irish, or other White), Mixed (like White and Black Caribbean or White and Asian), Asian or Asian British (including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, or other Asian), Black or Black British, and Chinese or other ethnic groups.

People in England and Wales who chose "other ethnic group" could write in their own description. Many wrote down specific backgrounds such as Filipino, Japanese, Vietnamese, Arab, or North African. In addition, for the first time, people in Cornwall could mark themselves as Cornish on the census form. About 34,000 people in Cornwall chose this option, showing that many felt a strong Cornish identity.