Over the years, the reasons for collecting census data have changed. The most important reason for the first censuses was to count heads: to find out the number of people in Britain. In the latter part of the nineteenth century there was added interest in ascertaining the population of defined areas, at a time when health was seen as being in inverse relationship to population density. Changes in motivation for collecting the census have been reflected in the questions asked. In the early twentieth century concern about falling birth rates saw the introduction of a question about the fertility of marriage. Questions about occupation in the census have changed over the years as the nature of work and the workforce have been transformed. Changing attitudes about women and ethnic groups are also reflected.
Please click on a year in the left menu to find out more about the information sought by the census-makers for that year.
Note: census data obtained today may contain extra information
generated by researchers subsequent to collection.