Annex A: More information on survey response rates
This annex shares response rates for a selection of key statistical surveys. It aims to illustrate response rates across the UK from a range of household surveys and producers, highlighting how survey participation has changed over time and the continuing challenge of lower response rates for many surveys since the pandemic.
Each of the surveys listed below will have its own specific caveats and may have undergone changes in method that impact their measured response rates. For example, in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the introduction of national lockdown restrictions, many surveys changed their fieldwork operations for the 2020 to 2021 period.
From April 2020, and for the whole of the 2020 to 2021 survey year, most data collection was conducted by telephone instead of face-to-face. This shift in mode of interview was accompanied by a substantial reduction in the number of interviews achieved. Other surveys were suspended during the same period, carried out for different lengths of time, or experienced other method changes.
Readers must refer to the original sources for each listed survey response rate to gain a detailed understanding, and prior to replicating or making use of the information provided in this annex.
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Labour Force Survey, total response rate, Quarter 1 (January to March) – Office for National Statistics
2020 Q1 – 36.2%
2021 Q1 – 23.6%
2022 Q1 – 22.6%
2023 Q1 – 16.9%
2024 Q1 – 16.7%
2025 Q1 – 21.3%
2026 Q1 – 33.4%
Labour Force Survey performance and quality monitoring report: January to March 2026
Living Costs and Food Survey – Office for National Statistics
2017/18 – 43%
2018/19 – 43%
2019/20 – 40%
2020/21 – 24%
2021/22 – 27%
2022/23 – 22%
2023/24 – 28%
Living Costs and Food Survey technical report: financial year ending March 2024
Crime Survey for England and Wales – Office for National Statistics
2018/19 – 70%
2019/20 – 64%
2020/21 – suspended (COVID)
2021/22 – suspended (COVID)
2022/23 – 42%
2023/24 – 46%
2024/25 – 46% provisional
Crime in England and Wales QMI
Wealth and Assets Survey – Office for National Statistics
Wave 5 (2014-16) – 65%
Round 6 (2016-18) – 63%
Round 7 (2018-20) – 58%
Round 8 (2020-22) – 41%
Round 9 (2022-24) – 29%
Wealth and Assets Survey guide
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UK Government Departments
Health Survey for England – NHS England
2017 Q1 – 60%
2018 Q1 – 59%
2019 Q1 – 60%
2020 Q1 – suspended
2021 Q1 – 32%
2022-3 Q1 – 36%
2024 Q1 – 37%
Health Survey for England 2024: Methods
National Travel Survey – Department for Transport
2019 – 54%
2020 – 16%
2021 – 38%
2022 – 31%
2023 – 32%
2024 – 32%
Family Resources Survey – Department for Work and Pensions
2018/19 – 50%
2019/20 – 49%
2020/21 – 23%
2021/22 – 26%
2022/23 – 28%
2023/24 – 32%
2024/25 – 31%
Family Resources Survey 2024 to 2025 Methodology Tables
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Scottish Government
Scottish Household Survey – Scottish Government
2018 – 64%
2019 – 63%
2020 – not applicable
2021 – not applicable
2022 – 44%
2023 – 46%
2024 – 47%
Scottish Household Survey 2024: Methodology and fieldwork outcomes
Scottish Health Survey – Scottish Government
2018 – 57%
2019 – 56%
2020 – telephone only
2021 – 31% (part sample approach)
2022 – 38%
2023 – 42%
2024 – 37%
The Scottish Health Survey 2024 – Volume 2: Technical Report
Scottish Crime and Justice Survey – Scottish Government
2018/19 – 63%
2019/20 – 63%
2020/21 – no survey carried out due to COVID
2021/22 – 47%
2022/23 – no survey carried out
2023/24 – 46%
2024/25 – 48%
Scottish Crime and Justice Survey 2024-25
Welsh Government
National Survey for Wales – Welsh Government
2018/19 – 54.2%
2019/20 – 55.7%
2020/21 – 58.4%
2021/22 – 41.8%
2022/23 – 38.3%
2023/24 – suspended
2024/25 – 18.7%
National Survey for Wales: quality report 2024 to 2025
Northern Ireland
Labour Force Survey (NI), Quarter 1 (January to March) – Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
Q1 2019 – 51.0%
Q1 2020 – 55.5%
Q1 2021 – 20.9%
Q1 2022 – 33.3%
Q1 2023 – 48.0%
Q1 2024 – 36.1%
Q1 2025 – 30.9%
Q1 2026 – 33.6%
Labour Market Report – Historical | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
Northern Ireland Health Survey – Department of Health (NI)
2018/19 – 53%
2019/20 – 59%
2020/21 – 18%
2021/22 – 47%
2022/23 – 56%
2023/24 – 53%
2024/25 – 49%
Health Survey (NI): First Results 2024/25
Northern Ireland Safe Community Survey – Department of Justice (NI)
2019/20 – 56%
2020/21 (NI Safe Community Telephone Survey) – 15%
2021/22 (NI Safe Community Telephone Survey) – 40%
2022/23 (NI Safe Community Telephone Survey) – 49%
2023/24 (NI Safe Community Telephone Survey) – 49%
Northern Ireland Safe Community Survey | Department of Justice
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