CIH response to the Census 2031 consultation on content for England and Wales

The Office for National Statistics held a consultation in February 2026 on the content of the next Census, due in 2031. CIH has a number of concerns about the future of the Census, and the possible reduction in data on key issues for housing professionals, including data available at local levels.

CIH submitted a detailed response to the consultation, a summary of which is below.

Basic demographics and household composition

Population and household numbers and composition alongside changes over time and space are an essential part of examining changing overall housing requirements at a range of spatial scales and play a key role in informing local land-use planning for new housing. Data on the following topics are essential:  

• Age
• Sex
• Marital or legal partnership status
• Household and family relationships.

These data are used by housing professionals across the UK; they are used by CIH in its annual UK Housing Review, which is widely used in the sector as a source of statistics and analysis.

Demographic data, especially age, household size and composition, underpin most of the resource allocation frameworks and deprivation indices that have operated at national or local authority level for many years, if not decades.  

The structure and profile of the population and household population in terms of age, sex, partnership status, and family relationships (as well as ethnicity, health and other census topics) are a key input into understanding housing need and comparing the profile of housing need and demand at different spatial scales over time and space. For example: being able to identify the number, age and sex of persons in a household relative to number of bedrooms is vital for assessing overcrowding.  

Local authorities, charities and other voluntary bodies rely on demographic data alongside housing data and diversity data (ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity etc) for equality monitoring and targeting policies and services.  

Local authorities also continue to produce ward level reports that cover a range of Census topic groups, which Councillors and residents find informative.

Variables such as ethnic group, religion, national identity, main language, country of birth or protected characteristics are important for understanding population diversity, especially at LA and below.  

Data may be used as an input to studies of the housing related needs of different ethnic communities, to inform policy priorities and resource allocation decisions.  

Experience confirms that the unique value of Census data is being able to simultaneously analyse variables that extend across the range of Census topics (multivariate analysis) set out in the consultation paper, using with demographic, housing, health and labour market data sitting at the core.

Having consistent Census data on demographic topics, housing topics and other Census topics is essential for producing GB-level profiles. This is important in (for example) presenting statistics and making comparisons on housing-related issues between different European countries, as we do in the UK Housing Review.

Housing

Continued population and household growth and the failure of housing supply to keep up with overall demand has become an ever more pressing policy concern.  

Both local authorities and private registered housing providers rely heavily on small area housing and population data from the Census to target housing policies and resources in terms of both the planning and management of housing. Local housing strategies and private developer site-appraisal reports also tend to employ Census housing, demographic and other data.  

The following variables therefore all remains vital:  

• Dwelling type (house/flat etc) and self-containment of accommodation
• Number of rooms: The Census 2021 used Valuation Office Agency data, which seems reasonable way to proceed in 2031
• Number of bedrooms: Vital for assessing overcrowding and for ensuing consistency to compare rates of overcrowding across UK
• Second addresses: Not listed as topic but remains essential for analysis of second homes, workday and workplace populations
• Type of central heating: Though some argue now less important, it remains an important variable as evidenced by inclusion in the Scottish Deprivation Index, but the drop-down tick box should be updated to include heat pumps and other options consistent with the policy drive to net-zero 
  •    Tenure and landlord (if renting): A vital topic for housing policy  
• Number of cars or vans: Currently no local level alternative. The focus should remain on the number of cars or vans that are owned or available for use by members of a household (as opposed to distinguishing between vehicle ownership and availability at household level).

Information about accommodation type etc, tenure and number of bedrooms (and overcrowding/under-occupation) are used by our members:  

• To inform housing need assessments and Housing Strategy development  
• To inform resource allocation, equalities monitoring and identify relatively deprived areas
• For profiling particular population groups, such as social tenants, to inform the design of a primary survey of social tenants.  

Census housing data are used very extensively by local authorities and other bodies in small areas to:  

• Produce local profiles of the housing stock as part of wider local area profiles
• Inform assessment of the changing demand/popularity of small areas and changing in social structure of these areas
• Identify areas where there are concentrations of issues such as overcrowding, high concertation of private renting in streets and/or estates and a lack of variety of housing to help sustain mixed and balanced communities. 

There is a need to review Census 2031 arrangements for engagement with people and households that are homeless or vulnerably housed. The 2021 arrangements focused on managers and residents of shelters, hostels and day/night centres to organise times for our Census officers to visit to provide paper questionnaires and guidance on filling them out.  However, many homeless or vulnerable households are in other forms of temporary accommodation and require support to encourage participation and guide them on filling out forms. Likewise, there is a need to review arrangements for engaging with rough sleepers.  

Migration and citizenship, ethnicity and national identity

Data on these topics are vital at all levels. Housing providers want to know – and need to show – their impact of their services and developments on all ethnic groups, they also need to understand the pattern of ethnicity in wider areas in which they have housing stock – for example, to compare their tenant profiles with the profile of the wider population.

Censuses provide irreplaceable baseline data on issues such as ethnicity. It would do immense harm to abandon their collection, not just in practical terms but in terms of the image and reputation of service providers who would be less well-equipped to understand and meet the needs of different ethnic groups.

There are well established housing user needs for the current suite of migration variables, but the continuing shift in migration patterns means being able to track internal and international migration has become increasingly important in anticipating housing and other needs.  

Migration is complex and difficult to measure, such that the Census is a necessary data source to use to triangulate information from admin sources.  

Internal and international migration flows are also an important input to population projections and therefore an important contributory factor for housing need and demand assessments.

Data on some small population groups are difficult to obtain – for example, on Roma people. For this reason, they may be neglected by public services. Fine-grained information on ethnicity is often important in ensuring that services are provided in appropriate ways – for example, meeting language needs.