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Scots have until May 1 to complete the census

SCOTS have been warned that they have until May 1 to fill in their census details or face prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

A census of the population has been taken every 10 years in Scotland since 1801, with the exception of 1941, because of the Second World War, and in 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Census Day was officially March 20 and this date is used for historical comparisons with previous censuses to understand how society, the economy and the population have changed throughout history.

From February 28, census letters were issued to more than 2.7 million households representing 5.5 million people.

Scots have a legal responsibility to fill in a census and all forms must be completed by May 1.

As of April 25, 75.7% (around 2,010,000) of households had completed the census – some way short of National Records of Scotland’s (NRS) target of 94%, which was achieved in 2011.

The NRS also wants each local authority area to have a completion rate of at least 85%.

A spokesperson for NRS said: “It’s important and a legal responsibility to complete the census as information gathered from the census informs how services are planned and how money is invested in the nation’s schools, transport, health and care services.

“Households who don’t fill in the census by the deadline may face prosecution, which could lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £1,000.

“However, our absolute focus is on ensuring that every household is supported and encouraged to complete the census and to add their data to that of the two million households in Scotland that have already successfully submitted.”

Census data is used extensively across the public, private and charity sectors. The information informs how services are planned and how money is invested in the nation’s schools, transport network, health and care services.

Every household in Scotland must complete a census questionnaire – it’s a legal responsibility.

People who are over 16 and living in places such as halls of residence, care homes or a hostel must also complete the questionnaire.

The census asks questions on a range of topics, including the types of accommodation people stay in, household relationships, age, sex, health and employment status.

New questions for the 2022 census include use of British Sign Language (BSL), passports held, previous armed forces history and new voluntary questions on sexual orientation and trans status.

A lot has changed since the first census in 1801, which was little more than a population count.

The NRS says it “engaged extensively with stakeholders to develop and test the questions”. These were approved by the Scottish Parliament in June 2020.

Various questions have been added to and removed from censuses throughout the years.

After the census closes, the information collected is published and made available for use.

Before the data is published, all personal information is removed – meaning that respondents cannot be identified by any of the data published.

All census responses are kept secure and confidential for 100 years, and the number of people who can access them is kept to a minimum.

NRS plans to start publishing results from the census approximately a year after collection.

Information about the population will be published first, then information on a range of topics including languages

All census responses are kept confidential and secure for 100 years.