Introduction

The statistics on the 2022 census in Scotland are accredited official statistics produced by National Records of Scotland (NRS).

The census is one of the most important sources of data and statistics, informing decisions about almost every aspect of life within the UK. It gives users access to important information on the people and households of the UK and helps us better understand the places in which we live and work.

Census statistics are a vital source of statistical insight for Scotland, providing a reliable understanding of the population’s size, distribution and demographic characteristics. The Scottish census offers a robust snapshot of the nation and, alongside the censuses in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, contributes to a coherent UK-wide picture for 2021–2022.

Background to this assessment

The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) has conducted assessments of the 2021/22 censuses produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the National Records of Scotland (NRS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). It is essential that the data and statistics from the censuses are reliable and provide valuable insights by meeting the rigorous standards of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value outlined in the Code of Practice for Statistics (the Code).

We have conducted our assessments of the censuses in three phases. In October 2019, we published our reports on Phase 1, focusing on the planning and consultation activities undertaken by the census offices across the UK. In November 2021, we published our Phase 2 assessment reports for England and Wales and Northern Ireland, focusing on the strategies for developing and providing outputs. Our Phase 2 for Census 2022 in Scotland assessment report was published in April 2023. This report included five requirements to which NRS was required to respond. Our Phase 3 assessment report for Northern Ireland was published in February 2025, and our Phase 3 report for England and Wales was published in June 2025.

This report covers the third and final phase of our assessment of the 2022 census in Scotland and completes our assessments of the 2021/22 censuses in the UK. On 13 September 2023, OSR wrote to NRS to confirm the designation of the 2022 census in Scotland statistics as National Statistics (now referred to as accredited official statistics). Our judgement was based on a range of evidence evaluated during phases one and two and NRS’s commitment to ensure that the Census 2022 statistics for Scotland would be of high quality and meet the wide and varied needs of users of these data. This report therefore focuses on the extent to which NRS fulfilled its commitments from 2023 and met the needs of statistics and data users with the 2022 census in Scotland outputs.

Our approach

For this third and final phase of our assessment, we split our work into two strands:

• A review of NRS’s 2022 census outputs against the Code, with particular consideration of the extent to which the outputs have met user needs.
• A review of NRS’s progress towards any outstanding commitments it made in response to the requirements from our Phase 2census assessment (as outlined in Annex 1).

This report was prepared by an assessment team composed of OSR statistics regulators. The team conducted desk research and engaged with key stakeholders and users to gather its findings. The report was then approved by the Regulation Committee on behalf of the Board of the UK Statistics Authority, on the advice of the Director General for Regulation.

Desk research

We carried out desk-based research, which involved reviewing the outputs over the course of autumn 2025 and winter 2025/26 to confirm their accessibility, means of dissemination and methodological information, as well as many of the supporting resources, reference materials and assurance mechanisms that NRS published alongside the outputs.

These findings were complemented by information that NRS shared with the OSR assessment team, which focused on the progress it had made against each of the requirements from our Phase 2 census assessment. We also conducted meetings with the NRS census team to discuss our findings and seek further insight. We thank NRS and its staff for their cooperation during this process.

User engagement

In developing this report, we spoke to users of the 2022 census outputs in Scotland. OSR conducted seven interviews with a range of users from Scotland’s devolved government departments, local authorities, non-departmental public bodies and academia. These users included those with a statistical background, researchers, policy developers and non-expert interested stakeholders. The interview period ran from 3 November to 12 December 2025.

The information collected in this interview process complemented that gathered through written feedback from users of 2022 census outputs. OSR received six written responses after contacting known users of the statistics by email and advertising a request for feedback through NRS’s Census 2031 e-newsletter on 15 October 2025.

Changes to the Code of Practice

OSR published the revised Code of Practice for Statistics (version 3.0) on 30 October 2025, with regulation under the new Code taking effect from that date. OSR expects producers to now be embedding the new Code. The requirements from Phase 2 have been assessed under the previous Code (version 2.1), reflecting the period in which NRS responded to the requirements. Further information can be found in OSR’s Transition Guidance for producers.