News Census 2021 – coming to you in March

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is reminding residents that the decennial census is almost upon us.

Households across Maidstone will soon be asked to take part in the nationwide once-in-a-decade survey of housing and the population – Census 2021, which provides the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales.

Census day will be 21 March, but households will receive letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March. The survey will include questions about people’s sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. For the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Information from the digital-first census will help decide how services are planned and funded in the local areas across the borough of Maidstone. This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, housing or new bus routes.

Households will receive a letter with a unique access code in the post, allowing them to complete their questionnaire online. Paper questionnaires will be available on request.

Results will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generations.

For more information, please go to the government website: Census.gov.uk

The Census has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.

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