Census day is almost here – stand up and be counted

Households across Oxfordshire are being asked to take part in Census 2021, a national survey that takes place once every ten years.

Census day is on March 21, and households have started receiving letters with online codes explaining how they can complete their forms. If you don’t get one in the next week, or need some more help or information, please visit census.gov.uk or call the census contact centre on 0800 141 2021.

Residents can also request a paper questionnaire if they would prefer to complete their census that way.

The census is run by the Office for National Statistics and provides the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. Information from it helps decide how services for residents like transport, education and health are planned and funded across the district.

Charities and voluntary organisations often use information from the census as evidence to get funding. It helps local businesses to understand their customers and, for example, decide where to open new shops. Plus, those doing research, like university students and people looking into their family history, use census data. It provides important information on population diversity, allowing organisations to know whether they are meeting their responsibilities and triggering action where necessary.

Local census support centres will be open while the census is happening and will offer help for people not confident online, who don’t have a computer or need help completing on paper.

It is an offence to supply false information or to not complete the census, and residents could be fined up to £1,000. Some questions are clearly labelled as voluntary. It is not an offence if people do not answer these.

For more help or information, please visit census.gov.uk or call the census contact centre on 0800 141 2021.