Dear Ed,
Response to Phase 3 assessment report: 2021 Census in England and Wales
Thank you for your letters on 12 June 2025 outlining the Census phase 3 assessment report and OSR’s review of gender identity estimates for England and Wales from Census 2021. Your feedback is at a pivotal time when we begin preparations for a 2031 Census as commissioned by HM Government. We are reflecting the standards articulated in all three of your assessment reports for census within our organisational and statistical design principles for the next census – including Trust, Quality and Value, all at the heart of our objectives.
I note your recognition of the further work we did following your phase 2 Census report, particularly our ambitious approach and extended user engagement. Census 2021 was a huge undertaking, resulting in the publication of more than 150 analytical reports across 13 topics and more than a billion statistics. We introduced interactive tools, including Census maps to help users understand what people’s lives were like in their areas. Census 2021 was also the first-time users could create their own custom datasets, through our flexible table builder.
Whilst you found the 2021 Census achieved high response rates with sound methods and a wide range of quality information, I also accept the one requirement and six recommendations in your phase 3 assessment which outlines how we should continue to extend our accessibility and user reach. We have recently published the ‘UK-level census outputs’ on 27 June, meeting one of your recommendations.
The census continues to be a critical evidence tool, telling us about the society we live in. Census day was on 21 March 2021, amid the third national lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It represents a unique snapshot that reflects the nation at that point in time. The statistics are used for many years after Census Day, so it is right we address your requirement by explaining the impact the pandemic may have had on the population at the time, for example where people may have been living.
We know this can have a knock-on effect too for population estimates, which is why we have used additional data sources and insights to improve their quality. Our Administrative-Based Population Estimates continue to show promise, and we are aiming for these to be the official mid-year population estimates from Summer 2026.
We plan to meet the requirement set out in your report within 6 months and we will continue to engage with OSR during this process. In addition, we will include the six recommendations in the planning for the future provision of population statistics for England and Wales, including Census 2031.
Best regards,