Coverage and quality surveys

Introduction to the Census Coverage Survey, including links to the Quality Assurance Strategy and Quality Survey.

Census Coverage Survey

The Census Coverage Survey (CCS) is a short household survey that helps to ensure that the 2011 Census results are complete. The CCS ran from 9 May to 3 June 2011.

Just under 2 per cent of Northern Ireland's households were invited to take part in the CCS. The addresses were selected by postcode.

The questions were similar to those asked on the 2011 Census questionnaire. They include type of accommodation, names, relationships and dates of birth. This helps us to work out if anyone was missed from the Census. It is not a check on individual Census questionnaires or households.

All information collected in the CCS is confidential and protected by law. It is used to help make sure the census results are correct.

A Census Coverage Survey was first carried out in the UK in 2001, although a survey looking at census coverage was first run in Northern Ireland in 1991. Similar surveys are standard practice in most countries that take censuses.

Quality Assurance Strategy

The 2011 Census Quality Assurance Strategy outlines the Quality Assurance work that was completed prior to the outputs production phase.

Census Quality Survey

The 2011 Census Quality Survey outlines the extent to which the responses provided in the Census, to both the household and individual questions, were confirmed by (that is, agreed with) those provided through the Census Quality Survey.