<P> The 1851 census included a question about religion on a separate response sheet, whose completion was not compulsory . But the 2001 census was the first in which the government asked about religion on the main census form . New legislation was enacted through the Census (Amendment) Act 2000 to allow the question to be asked, and to make its response optional . Perhaps encouraged by a chain letter that started in New Zealand, 390,000 people entered their religion as "Jedi Knight", with some areas registering up to 2.6% of people as Jedi . Thus, "Jedi" was the fourth - largest reported religion in the country. (See: Jedi census phenomenon). </P> <P> The UK's most recent national census took place on 27 March 2011 . Several identity and status options were included for the first time in the census, including options relating to civil partnerships . The first set of data to be released from this census (basic counts of population by age and sex) was made available in July 2012, with the remainder of the tables following thereafter . </P> <P> The next UK census is scheduled to take place in March 2021 . However, on behalf of the Government, the UK Statistics Authority has initiated a research programme, called Beyond 2011 to investigate a range of alternative options to conducting a UK - wide census in 2021 . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Notes </Th> <Th> New questions asked </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1801 </Td> <Td> 10 March </Td> <Td> Details collected were mainly head - counts, with few records still existing . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1811 </Td> <Td> 27 May </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1821 </Td> <Td> 28 May </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1831 </Td> <Td> 30 May </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1841 </Td> <Td> 6 June </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Name . Age (for those over 15, this was supposed to be rounded down to the nearest 5 years, though this instruction was not obeyed in all cases). Occupation . Whether born in same county recorded as "Yes" or "No" of resident county and if no whether born in Scotland, Ireland or Foreign Parts would be marked with a' √' (tick). Religion (Ireland). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1851 </Td> <Td> 30 March </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Relation to head of the household . Marital status . Place of birth . Whether blind, deaf or dumb . Language spoken (Ireland). Rounding down of ages dropped . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1861 </Td> <Td> 7 April </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Economic status . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1871 </Td> <Td> 2 April </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Whether an imbecile, idiot or lunatic </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1881 </Td> <Td> 3 April </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Language spoken (in Scotland). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1891 </Td> <Td> 5 April </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Language spoken (in Wales). Whether an employer, an employee, or neither . Number of rooms occupied, if fewer than 5 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1901 </Td> <Td> 31 March </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Number of rooms in dwelling . Whether an employer, worker or working on one's own account . Whether working at home or not . Language spoken (in Wales--children under 3 years of age excluded). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1911 </Td> <Td> 2 April </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> First UK Census where the Census Return for a particular household or institution written directly by the "Head of Household" was used as the primary census return . <P> Industry or service with which the worker is connected . How long the couple has been married . How many children were born alive, how many who are still alive, and how many who have died . "Nationality of any Person born in a Foreign Country". The final column, which had been "Deaf and Dumb, Blind, Lunatic, Imbecile, Feeble - minded", becomes "INFIRMITY: Totally Deaf and Dumb, Totally Blind, Lunatic, Imbecile, Feeble - minded". </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1921 </Td> <Td> 19 June </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Place of work and industry Whether a marriage has been dissolved by divorce . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1931 </Td> <Td> 26 April </Td> <Td> England and Wales--destroyed in 1942 fire; Northern Ireland--no census . </Td> <Td> Place of usual residence </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1939 </Td> <Td> 29 September </Td> <Td> National Registration Act 1939 . </Td> <Td> Includes every civilian member of household, their full birth date, full name and occupation . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1941 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> No census due to the Second World War . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1951 </Td> <Td> 8 April </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Household amenities . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1961 </Td> <Td> 23 April </Td> <Td> The first time a computer was used . An IBM 705 at the Royal Army Pay Corps, Worthy Down, Winchester, England </Td> <Td> Qualifications, migration, household tenure . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1966 </Td> <Td> 24 April </Td> <Td> Long - form / short - form census, trialling an alternative method of enumeration . </Td> <Td> Car ownership, method of travel to work . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1971 </Td> <Td> 25 April </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1981 </Td> <Td> 5 April </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1991 </Td> <Td> 21 April </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ethnic group, long - term limiting illness, central heating, term - time address of students . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2001 </Td> <Td> 29 April </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Size of workforce, supervisor status, first question on religion on the main census form (England, Wales, and Scotland). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2011 </Td> <Td> 27 March </Td> <Td> An option to complete the form online . Also provided English, Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh and British national identity option following criticism that English and Welsh were absent from 2001 . </Td> <Td> Includes questions relevant to civil partnerships . Other new questions involve asking migrants their date of arrival and how long they intend to stay in the UK; respondents also required to disclose which passports they held . A rehearsal census was conducted on 11 October 2009 . </Td> </Tr> </Table>

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