Census 2001 Information

What is the 2001 Census?

The Census is a count of allpeople and households, and is the most complete source of information about the population that we have.

The latest Census was held onSunday 29 April 2001 and was planned and carried out by the Office for National Statistics.

The Census is used by central and localGovernment, health authorities and other organisations to target resources effectively and to plan housing, education, health and transport services.

What information will be available and when?

October 2002 - Headcounts

Population counts at Census Day by gender and age for England, Wales and local authorities were released in October 2002.

February 2003 - Key Statistics

The first statistics to be made available are Key Statistics.These are straight forward counts of responses, and do not include cross-tabulations at this stage (e.g. there will be information on people's economic status, but not economic status by ethnic group).

The results provide the headline figures for eachtopic covered in the Census including:

• ethnicity and religion;
• occupation and industry of employment;
• household composition;
• health and provision of unpaid care;

Revised mid-year population estimates for 1992-2000 have also been released. These have been revised following the 2001 Census results.

April/May 2003 - Detailed Statistics

More detailed statistics for local authorities and wards (Standard Tables) will contain cross-tabulated results for a number of themes. So, for example, there will be information on economic activity by age, gender and ethnicity.

Similar statistics for Output Areas (Census Area Statistics) will also be released. Output Areas are the smallest areas for which data will be available (approx 100 households). Because of the small size of Output Areas, fewer statistics will be available to preserve confidentiality.

Autumn 2003 - Migration and Workplace Statistics

Next autumn two final sets of statistics will be made available. Migration matrices will show where people lived on Census Day, and the year prior to that. Workplace matrices will show where people work compared to where they live.

June/ July 2003 - Ward and Output Area Statistics

The Office for National Statistics will release Key Statistics for wards and output areas (previously enumeration districts) on Monday 30th June, the more detailed Standard Tables for these areas will be available in July.

May 2004

All the Census Area Statistics tables are now available at output area level and above. The data on distances travelled to work is also available at output area level and above. All standard tables are available at ward, local authority and national geographies.

How can the information be accessed?

The data is freely available via the National Statistics and neighbourhood statistics website.

The 2001 Census Data pages of this website provide tables containing the key statistics for Reading.

The Greater London Authority are carrying out the main Census analysis for Berkshire. Their reports will be made available throughout the year as data is released.

Are there any warnings I should be aware of?

Care should be taken inmaking comparisons between the 1991 and 2001 Census.

ONS have used mid-1991 estimates as a comparison, rather than the 1991 Census figures, as the mid-1991 estimates have been calculated in the same way (e.g. both the mid-1991 estimates and the 2001 Census count students at their term time address, while the 1991 Census did not).

It is also important to note that Reading ward boundaries will change in May 2004. The ward level data is likely to be for the new wards, rather than the current ones. This will make comparisons with 1991 data at ward level difficult.

Data can be requested by using the on-line form to the top right of this page