The Census collects information every ten years about the characteristics of people and households in the country. It is used by central and local government, health authorities and many other organisations to allocate resources and plan services for everyone.
Planning for the 2011 Census is already underway with a series of consultations and tests.
There is a dedicated website, Scotland's Census, which will allow most householders to return their questionnaires online. It also contains news, frequently asked questions and background information about plans for census day, 27 March 2011.
You can read details in Gaelic about previous censuses by visiting our Gaelic section.
Details about the 2011 Census are also available in Gaelic.
Gheibh thu air fiosrachadh mu chunntasan-sluaigh roimhe a leughadh sa Ghàidhlig le bhith a’ tadhal air ar duilleagan Gàidhlig. Tha fiosrachadh air Cunntas-sluaigh 2011 cuideachd ri fhaotainn sa Ghàidhlig.
Most statistics from the 2001 Census are available on our Scotland's Census Results OnLine (SCROL) website.
Products from the 1991 Census are still available.
Earlier Censuses
Censuses contain useful information for family historians, and people interested in Scotland's social history. The statistical reports from the Censuses from 1801 to 1931 are available on the Histpop - The Online Historical Population Reports website. Census records about individual people are left confidential for 100 years to protect privacy. Access to older Census records is described on our ScotlandsPeople website.
Page last updated: 22 June 2009
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