1911Census.org.uk

UK Census Dates 1801-2001

The UK census has been taken every 10 years since the first one was taken in 1801, the only exception being 1941.

The dates when the census was taken are shown in the following table - in general the details recorded should have been of people present at each dwelling at midnight at the end of this day, although in later years the rules were clarified to include those, such as night shift workers, who returned to the dwelling the following morning, having not been counted elsewhere.

1801	Tuesday 10th March
1811	Monday 27th May
1821	Monday 28th May
1831	Sunday 29th May
1841	Sunday 6th June
1851	Sunday 30th March
1861	Sunday 7th April
1871	Sunday 2nd April
1881	Sunday 3rd April
1891	Sunday 5th April
1901	Sunday 31st March
1911	Sunday 2nd April
1921	Sunday 19th June
1931	Sunday 26th April
1941	-- see note below --
1951	Sunday 8th April
1961	Sunday 23rd April
1971	Sunday 25th April
1981	Sunday 5th April
1991	Sunday 21st April
2001	Sunday 29th April

No census was held in 1941 because of the second world war but a "mini-census" was held in 1939 so that everybody could be issued with a National identity card. This was held on Friday 29th September 1939.

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