Scotland’s Census returns reach 70 per cent « Scotland's Census: Shaping Our Future

04.04.2011 Scotland’s Census returns reach 70 per cent, so fill it in now if you haven’t already

As Scotland’s census return rate reaches 70 per cent, people who have yet to send back questionnaires are set to be visited by census takers, to make sure everyone is counted.

Around 6,000 census takers will be able to explain census questions to householders, offer advice, arrange translations and provide replacement questionnaires or other help, when they call to collect as yet unreturned questionnaires from Wednesday, 6 April.

A week on from census day (Sunday 27 March), around 1.8 million census questionnaires - 70 per cent of more than 2.5 million delivered - have been sorted by Royal Mail or returned online.

The Registrar General for Scotland, Duncan Macniven, is responsible for running the 2011 Census. He said:

“Census questionnaire returns so far include more than 1.4 million by post and 380,000 online. Hundreds of thousands more are expected back over the next few days as people fill in details of their circumstances on census day, 27 March.

“The 70 per cent return rate is in line with our expectations, and it is a quick and positive response from householders who clearly understand that the census is important to make sure that Scotland and its communities are fairly represented when it comes to planning future services and allocating funding. It’s time now for others to chip in and have their say.

“Completing and returning the questionnaire is required by law, and anyone failing to do so could face a fine of up to £1,000. Warning letters are already going out to around 200 people who have indicated that they will refuse to take part.”

The return rate is a very early indicator of how well people have responded to the census. It is calculated by comparing the number of questionnaires returned so far with the total distributed (which will have included empty houses). Most of the remaining questionnaires are expected to be returned within the next few days and the return rate will increase as census takers will follow-up households, census non-compliance officers will be active and there will be late returns (for example from people who have been out of the country). The details of the population of Scotland will then be processed, analysed and checked for quality before census results are published in the second half of 2012.