How to make the most out of NISRA’s Census User Needs Consultation
Date published:
The census is one of the most important sources of data we have for understanding our population and housing. It will help to inform the planning of public services for the next decade and will support a wide range of government and academic research.
Why your input matters
The Census User Needs Consultation is the first step towards helping NISRA understand what users’ future needs are from the census – and will feed into the important design and testing work needed to develop an agreed questionnaire for Census 2031.
We are committed to understanding the evolving data needs of census users, so we would encourage the public and any interested parties to submit their views to this important consultation. Have your say before 23:59 on 4 February 2026 and help shape the future of census statistics.
Ready to share your views?
To help you make your response count, we’ve summarised some useful tips:
1. Be specific
Explain why a topic matters to your work or community, to help us understand your need. Instead of saying “data on general health is important”, explain why it matters. For example:
“My organisation will use general health data to allocate resources for primary health care support”.
2. Set the scene
We may not be familiar with your sector, please provide context, avoid jargon, and explain acronyms.
If you work with a subgroup of the population, such as a specific age group or minority population, please let us know.
3. Tell us your stories
Whether from your community or organisation, case studies and examples are an excellent way for us to understand your need for census topics.
Share scenarios where future census data would help you or your work. For example:
“I am involved in a community partnership programme and would like to use census data to understand how our educational intervention programs or youth programs improved educational attainment, for example, a reduction of those with no qualifications leaving school or higher percentage staying on in education or training.”
4. Use evidence
Facts and figures help us in assessing the merits of each topic and can strengthen the case for inclusion.
Do you have a legislative need for data on a topic? Can you quantify the positive impact the inclusion of a topic will have on your work? Can you quantify the negative impact omission will have instead? Please tell us. For example:
“Our organisation needs information about disability to comply with statutory obligations stemming from Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. This is vitally important to our organisation as the information provided via the census at small area level is otherwise unavailable”.
5. Focus on topics, not questions
Responses should help us to decide which topics to include in the Census 2031, not the actual questions. We will engage with users about the questions in the future.
6. Engage fully
Even if some questions on a topic feel less relevant, your insights help us see the bigger picture.
What happens next?
After the consultation closes, NISRA will publish a summary of responses and outline the next steps in developing Census 2031.
Together, we can make Census 2031 a powerful tool for understanding and improving the services we all rely on. We look forward to hearing from you.
Need help or have questions?
Reach out to us at census2031.consultations@nisra.gov.uk