DO YOU HAVE internet access? What time do you leave work, school, or college? And do you have a smoke alarm?

These are just some of the new questions you’ll be asked at the next census in 2021. 

Today, the government agreed to the designation of Sunday, 18 April 2021 as next Census day.

Following the first public consultation on census questions, engagement with a Census Advisory Group, and a pilot census survey, significant revisions are to be made to the Census questionnaire that every household will fill out.

New questions to be included are in the areas of renewable energy, whether a household has a smoke alarm and internet access, what time people are leaving work/school/college at, whether people smoke in the household, as well as questions around volunteering and working from home. 

As previously agreed by government, Census 2021 will be a traditional paper-based questionnaire.

However, alternative administrative-based and online collection methodologies are being tested in parallel.

The Central Statistics Office is expected to make a further announcement on the additional questions people will be asked in 2021.