The census does not, of course, provide a complete picture of society. The details of individuals are limited, and many aspects of life, such as religious belief, sociability, income and standard of living, and affective ties, are not recorded.
Information which would be useful is often missing, due to (or despite of) the instructions given to enumerators. One example of the former is the omission of precise details of birth for those born in other parts of the United Kingdom.
It can be difficult to see past the assumptions of enumerators, e.g. to study the work of women.
Although the 1851 census represents a 2% national sample, the sampled enumeration books are not necessarily representative of particular towns or regions.
Some data were standardised or omitted from the 1881 database, most notably
schedule numbers.