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Census

A census is a count of all people and households in the country. Taken once every 10 years by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the last census for England and Wales took place on 21 March 2021 and involved every household.

The results from each census provide population statistics from a national to neighbourhood level for use by government, local authorities and business and communities. Kent County Council uses the data collected to plan the local services needed like schools, transport, housing, and health.

It is the only survey to provide a detailed picture of the entire population and is unique because it covers everyone at the same time and asks the same core questions everywhere. This makes it easy to compare different parts of the country.

Further information is available on the ONS website.

2021 Census

The first results were released on 28 June 2022 and are presented in the following bulletins and tables:

2021 Census reports

Census data provides a detailed picture of the entire population. It helps us understand what our society needs now and what it’s likely to need in the future. The following reports look at different characteristics of Kent’s population in 2021 and how they have changed.

The 2021 Census bulletin on cultural diversity (PDF, 1.5 MB) looks at a range of cultural characteristics of the population of Kent including ethnicity, country of birth, length of residence and year of arrival, language, and religion and looks at how the cultural diversity of Kent’s population has changed since the last census.

The 2021 Census was the first census in England and Wales to ask a question about armed forces veterans allowing us to look at the characteristics of the population who have previously served in the regular forces, reserve forces or both. The 2021 Census bulletin on armed forces veterans (PDF, 584.2 KB) presents information on veterans living in Kent including age and sex, health and disability, and economic activity status and occupation.

The 2021 Census bulletin on health, disability and unpaid care (PDF, 2.3 MB) presents information on the general health of the Kent population, whether residents have a disability (both total and working age population) and whether those living in Kent are an unpaid carer. Provision of unpaid care by number of hours a week is also shown. The bulletin provides comparisons to 2011 to see how the population has changed in the last 10 years to 2021.

The 2021 Census bulletin on housing, dwellings and accommodation type (PDF, 718.6 KB) provides a range of data on dwellings, types of accommodation, household spaces and tenure. Comparisons are included to note how housing has changed between the 2011 and 2021 Censuses.

2021 Census tables

Here are some interactive content from Census 2021 first results from the Office for National Statistics: