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Last updated

17 Jun 2025

Scotland's Census 2031

National Records of Scotland (NRS) has recommended a mandatory questionnaire-based census for Scotland in 2031. 

This recommendation has been made to Scottish Ministers on behalf of the Registrar General for Scotland and has been accepted in principle with further detailed plans to follow.  

Census data is vital for gathering a vast range of information about Scotland’s people which local and central government, the NHS and a range of other service providers and data users need. The 2022 census generated over a billion statistics including education, transport, religion, migration, and national identity.

Alison Byrne, NRS Chief Executive, said: "No other survey provides the richness and range of information that the census does, enabling governments and other public bodies to plan the services we all rely on, and telling the story of Scotland's people for generations to come.

“We look forward to hearing from data users across Scotland in the coming months. Their responses will help us to understand the best way to meet their needs as we plan for a 2031 census.”

The recommendation is for the census to be held at the same time as censuses in the rest of the UK.  As with previous censuses NRS will work closely with other UK statistical bodies on the design and build of the census. 

Topic consultation now open

As part of our planning process, we have launched a consultation on topics to include in the 2031 census. The consultation will run until Autumn 2025.

We are seeking views on:

  • How you currently use the 2022 census outputs, the benefits of the census data and how far these meet your needs.
  • Your future requirements for statistics about Scotland’s housing, its people and their characteristics.  

We will use this information to inform the content of the 2031 census and the topics it will cover. This consultation is the beginning of a wider programme of engagement. We will work with stakeholders to ascertain their views on the topics to be gathered in 2031. 

How to get involved

The consultation is available via the Citizen Space website.