Census 2021

The census, undertaken by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) every 10 years, gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. Information from the census helps the government and local authorities to plan and fund local services, such as education, health and transport.

The ONS released the first Census 2021 results during the summer of 2022 that included population and household estimates for local authorities in England & Wales. A summary of how the population has changed in Herefordshire is available to download from the related documents box.

ONS are currently in phase 1 of releasing data from the Census in a rolling programme of topic-based summaries throughout November, December and early 2023. We plan to produce county-level headline summaries following each release. A headline summary for demography and migration is now available to download from the related documents box. A geographical analysis of how different areas within the county compare will follow shortly.

A detailed insight into the characteristics of the population will be available once the ONS release combinations of the different variables from early 2023.

See ONS’ Census 2021 release calendar for the plan of what is to be published and when.

You can explore the data yourself using the Census maps on the ONS website.  These new interactive maps compare Herefordshire to the rest of England and Wales, and you can zoom in to the smallest statistical geographies (output areas).  Please note that this phase does not include wards or parishes – we will be considering how best to look at these once we know more about ONS’ plans for these vital local geographies.

Please note that the 2021 Census brought about a small number of changes to output area boundaries – see the 'Understanding sub-county geographies' section on the Useful definitions page for further information.