Want your views to really count in our census topic consultation? Here’s how.
The census is a unique opportunity to provide statistics on who we are and help shape our future. The 2022 Census was the first to include new topics including veterans, sexual orientation and trans status.
In June 2025, NRS launched a consultation on the topics to be included in the 2031 Census. We’re asking you to respond on the Scottish Government’s consultation platform, Citizen Space. This blog provides tips on how to respond, helping ensure your response has maximum impact.
When responding to the consultation, please back up your perspective. Asserting that a topic is important, without any supporting evidence, makes it hard to understand its impact. Support your arguments with facts, data, research or real-world examples.
Case studies can be really powerful. If a topic affects you or your organisation directly, then examining a real-world case may help. A case study can relate to an individual, a social group, an organisation or an institution. Cases that you or your organisation have direct experience of can be particularly powerful.
Quantify your evidence where appropriate. As a statistical body, NRS loves numbers. Providing numbers or estimates can strengthen your case, particularly if you’re quantifying the impact of a particular output or topic.
Be constructive in your response. If you disagree with the inclusion of a particular topic, offer alternative approaches or solutions. Explain how an alternative topic would better achieve your objective.
Consider the wider implications of introducing a new topic. Think about how your suggested topic may impact different groups of people or parts of Scotland. Be practical, consider what the public will be willing to disclose. Think about respondent burden, that is the effort, time or difficulty that people experience when completing the census. In short, how demanding will completing the census feel.
Please stick to the questions asked in our consultation. Don’t digress. This is a topic consultation. We’re not seeking views on particular questions. That will come later when we test questions. The census is not a social attitudes survey. We don’t measure public opinion.
You don’t have to answer every question in our consultation. Focus on the areas where you have the most knowledge, expertise or interest. Stick to your strengths and the areas where you’ll add the most value.
Make sure your response is clear. Write in plain English, avoid jargon and explain acronyms. We’re not experts in your policy field. Pitching your response to a non-specialist audience is likely to have more impact.
As part of the consultation, we’re also keen to hear how you used the 2022 Census outputs. With more than a billion statistics published, we really want to understand how the census makes a difference to daily lives.
And one final point. Please meet the deadline – 30 September 2025.
There is no single way to respond to our consultation, but we hope these tips point you in the right direction. If you have any questions about this blog or the consultation itself, drop us a line at [email protected]. We look forward to receiving your response.