Census Information

Welcome to Census information for Hampshire County, its districts and the Unitary Authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton.

The decennial census in England and Wales was first conducted on the 10 March 1801 and the last census took place on 27 March 2011.

These pages provide Hampshire Census data for the past and present and information about future Censuses.

The Census provides a snap shot of the whole population at one point in time.  It has evolved over time due to the need for more detailed information about the population. The first census in 1801 was in part carried out to ascertain the number of men that could fight in the Napoleonic wars. It asked just five basic questions and provided a summary of the population at that time. In the 1841 Census, more detailed information about individuals was collected for the first time. By 2001 the census asked forty-one questions; thirty-two about each person resident in the household and nine questions about household accommodation. These questions provide information on the characteristics of the population and are used to target resources. In March 2011 the questionnaire arrived by post and for the first time ever, could be completed online via a secure internet site.

There was no census in 1941 because of World War Two.

Information Available:

• 2011 Census Information - Progress of the 2011 Census.

• 2001 Census Information - Summary tables and commentaries on a variety of topics from the 2001 Census.

• Historical Census Information - Reports of the changes in population and households that have taken place since the first census in 1801 to the last in 2001, interactive population pyramids and celebrating 200 years of Census history.