How Often Is There A Census In The UK?

In the UK a census is carried out every 10 years with the practice being first initiated in 1801; various aspects of the population are taken in to consideration while conducting the census other than the basic ones like age, gender occupation and the number of people in the household. The information is used in various ways by the government primarily to frame policies related to regional development or to allocate resources to certain parts of the country.

The first census in England was carried out in the 11th century by William the Conqueror in 1086 to aid him in administering the region and to determine the amount of taxes to be levied; the results were compiled in a book known as the Domesday Book. The results of the census which included information like the religion and ethnicity could be made public only after a period of 100 years, a law which was abolished according to the Freedom of Information Act of 2000.