It is the only survey which provides a detailed picture of the entire population and is unique because it covers everyone at the same time and asks the same core questions everywhere, making it possible to compare different groups of people as well as different parts of the country. It provides detailed information about the population as a whole and for small geographical areas and small populations.
As well as providing analysis of the Census data, the Corporate Research and Information team was closely involved in co-ordinating Conwy CBC's work to support the Office for National Statistics (ONS) who undertook the decennial survey. We helped to ensure that we counted all residents in Conwy CB wherever they were living.
Census history
A population census has been carried out in Great Britain every ten years from 1801, except in 1941 when the country was at war. Parliament passed the Census Act in 1800 for the first official census of England and Wales following suggestions that population growth would soon outstrip supplies of food and other resources. The basic principles of the census remain the same today.
Aside from many present and future benefits, the census has the power to unlock the past. Once census records are made public, 100 years after they are collected, they mark the beginning of a journey for thousands of people to discover the lives, loves and lifestyles of their ancestors.