Final days to complete Scotland’s Census

With less than a week to go to complete Scotland’s Census, Scots are being urged not to miss the deadline to fulfil their legal responsibility.

The census is due to close on May 1 and anyone who fails to submit their response by then could face prosecution and a fine of up to £1000. 

National Records of Scotland Chief Executive Paul Lowe added: 

“Time is running out to get your completed census return in by 01 May. It only takes a matter of minutes to complete online, or you can fill it out on paper.  Thank you to everyone that has submitted their response so far. I urge anyone who hasn’t submitted their census return to do so immediately, not only are you helping your community but it is also a legal responsibility. 

“With only six days to go, we are still here to help and support those who need it, further information can be found on our website census.gov.scot or through our free helpline 0800 030 8308. Paper forms are still available on request for those who need them.” 

The 2022 census will benefit Scotland for many years; it asks questions on a range of topics, including the types of accommodation people stay in, household relationships, age, sex, health and employment status. New questions for the 2022 census include use of British Sign Language (BSL), passports held, previous armed forces history and new voluntary questions on sexual orientation and trans status. 

Census letters have been issued to more than 2.7 million households representing 5.5 million people. 

A census of the population has been taken every 10 years in Scotland since 1801, with the exception of 1941, because of World War Two and in 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For more information and to complete the census online, visit census.gov.scot