1921 census release for England, Scotland and Wales

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19 January 2021
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Scheduled release dates and details for the 1921 census for England & Wales, and Scotland.

The census is a key building block for family historians, enabling us to see a snapshot of where our ancestor on a particular night every ten years. For privacy reasons, each ten-yearly census is only released to the public after 100 years which means that the 1921 census should be available within the next year.

QUICK LINK: What information will the 1921 census contain?

When is the 1921 census released?

The release dates for Scotland and England & Wales are different, as the Scottish census was taken separately.

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  • At the time of writing (June 2021) the Scottish census was scheduled for release in 2022, following delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic.This census will be released by ScotlandsPeople.
  • The 1921 census for England and Wales will be released online on 6 January 2022

FindMyPast has been chosen as the commercial partner for The National Archives to make the 1921 census available online. They will capture digital images and transcribe the records to allow family historians (and anyone else interested!) to explore them. Researchers will also be able to see the images free of charge at The National Archives in Kew.

Find out what information the 1921 England and Wales census contained.

Can I access the 1921 census for free?

The 1921 census is available from ScotlandsPeople (Scotland) and FindMyPast which charge a subscription or use a paid credits system and so access is not free. However, it will be possible to view the England and Wales 1921 census for free at the UK National Archives, Kew. Some libraries and archives also offer library members free access to the library version of FindMyPast.

For more on the census, download Family Tree's essential research guide for just £1.99.