Why does the UK have to wait 100 years for a census?

Question: Why does the UK have to wait 100 years for a census!?

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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Here in the UK we have had a national census since 1801, The census taken up until 1841, were deemed of no genealogical use!. 1841 is the first census,where the data collected has been used!. we have the census every ten years in the first year of the decade!. With every year of the census there is the 100 year privacy law!. This has Wendy has already said is to protect the living!.
Here is a complete list of the census dates,
1801 10th March Little use for Genealogy
1811 27th May Little use for Genealogy
1821 28th May Little use for Genealogy
1831 30th May Little use for Genealogy
1841 6th June Available
1851 30th March Available
1861 7th April Available
1871 2nd April Available
1881 3rd April Available
1891 5th April Available
1901 31st March Available
1911 2nd April Not yet released
1921 19th June Not yet released
1931 26th April Destroyed by fire in WWII
1939 29th Sept For issue of ID cards - except service personnel!.
1941 -- No census due to WWII
1951 8th April Not yet released
1961 23rd April Not yet released
1971 25th April Not yet released
1981 5th April Not yet released
1991 21st April Not yet released
2001 29th April Not yet released
The next census due to be released to the general public is the 1911 census due for release on 2nd January 2012!.
Hope this helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I presume what you are asking is why we have to wait 100 years before we can view a census!. The census is taken every 10 years!.

We apparently have to wait 100 years due to privacy - the theory being that people might still be alive who are on the censuses (although you could argue that there are some people on the 1901 census who are still alive)!.

Having said that, you can get some information from the 1911 census but you have to know the specific address, you can't seach by name!. I think it is supposed to be more generally available earlier than 2011!.

You can access the 1911 Dublin census though, if you're looking for Irish ancestors!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

They have to wait 100 years to release the census because the likely hood of a person being alive that knew that person could be found!. Therefore to protect the privacy of the individuals on it!. For example, if you have a grandfather on the 1911 cesus and he was say about 2 years old, his children born in the 30's and 40's could still be alive and living in that area!. You could easily find them and they may not want to be found, etc!.

In Canada it's 90 years, I can find some of my grandparents on it!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Wendy C:

A census counts "living people " and many other important information, such as their educational levels, religious affiliation, employment, place of birth, ethnic extraction, place of residence, type of housing, and so on!.

A census is a "snap shot " of a nation on a certain day, of a particular year!. It's intent is to count the total number of people in the entire country, and where they live on that day!. This data helps to decide about Government budgets and who gets what, and where!. Schools and social programs are effected by the census, and so are individual citizens!.

Information that is gathered in a census is not identifiable to an individual , as names are not included in the database!. The information is availible to the public, and anyone can read the reports online!.

Here in Canada we hold a national census every 5 years!.

Statistics Canada uses that data to project trends and suggest policies to the Federal Government that will be beneficial to the country!.

Jim B!. Toornto!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because that is the time frame that has been accepted, in terms of efforts to protect people's privacy!. Arbitrary, but someone has to set the limit!. I find living persons in the US census all the time!.!. anyone over age 72, is going to be in the records and accessible!. Is that a good thing!? from my selfish research perspective, of course!. From the side of keeping info confidential, no, it isn't!.
Those who say you have one every 10 yrs, have never used the census for research, so they have no clue what you are talking about!.
It's just the way it is!. People might be far less likely to give valid answers to questions, if they knew someone could get to that answer in 25 yrs!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

To my knowledge, the last UK census was taken in 2001!. I think the census before 2001 was taken in 1998--hardly a hundred year lapse!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Maybe its beacause the UK is so big, its hard to count their population!. And maybe the government is trying to save money!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

guessing its a tradition!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

We don't

It's every 10 yearsWww@QuestionHome@Com

Because no one cares about the UK!.Www@QuestionHome@Com