Scotland's Census 2022 - Detailed and write-in responses

An Accredited Official Statistics publication for Scotland

Last updated: 18 December 2024

Download data for the census trans status or history coding framework categories.

Download write-in responses for the Sexual orientation and trans status or history topic.

Download write-in responses for the Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion topic. 

Download write-in responses for the long-term conditions question. 

Data for the census trans status or history coding framework categories

In December 2024 we published data for the categories used in our trans status or history coding framework.

Scotland’s Census 2022 included a voluntary question on trans status or history. We consulted data users and agreed seven high level categories to publish data for. To publish the data we needed to classify census responses into those seven categories.

We used a coding framework to group similar responses together before classifying them into the seven categories. The coding framework was a tool used as part of the process to get to statistical outputs from written response inputs. The list of terms on the coding framework was informed by how people described themselves in responses to Scotland’s Census, the census rehearsal in Scotland, and the ONS Census for England and Wales. The list may include terms that are preferred/used by some people but not others.

Responses that were similar in nature but used different terms, or different spellings were combined into one of the twenty-seven coding framework categories at this stage. The coding framework categories data includes a combined figure for categories with fewer than 10 respondents to avoid privacy concerns.

Sexual orientation and trans status or history write-ins

Write-in responses to the questions on Sexual orientation and trans status or history questions were published alongside the topic report on 27 June 2024.

These will not sum to published totals as they do not include responses that were provided by fewer than 10 respondents or imputed records which are included in standard published outputs.

More information on the write-in responses for these questions is included in the Sexual orientation and trans status or history quality assurance report. 

Sexual orientation

Write-in responses published for the sexual orientation question include census respondents who provided text under the 'other sexual orientation' tick box in sexual orientation question and were coded to a sexual orientation category. They do not include people who only provided a tick response and no text. They also do not include imputed records which are included in standard published outputs.

Trans status or history

Write-in responses for the trans status or history question include responses from people who were coded to a trans category (trans man, trans woman, non-binary, trans status: not specified and other trans status or history). They do not include people who were not coded to one of the five high level trans categories. The list does not include people who only provided a tick response and no text.

Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion

A number of questions under this topic asked users to provide write in responses. These questions were:

• Ethnic group
• Country of birth
• Main language
• Religion
• Passports held

The write-in responses to these questions were published 3 October 2024. 

These will not sum to published totals as they do not include responses that were provided by fewer than 10 respondents.

The topic release for ethnic group, national identity, language and religion was published 21 May 2024. 

The quality assurance report that was published alongside the topic release includes information relevant to the questions listed above.

Health, disability and unpaid care

The question on long-term health conditions included a write-in box under the ‘other condition’ tick-box. The write-in responses to this question were published on 21 November 2024.

These will not sum to published totals as they do not include responses that were provided by fewer than 10 respondents, imputed records which are included in standard published outputs, or respondents who only provided a tick response.

The topic release for Health, disability and unpaid care was first published on 3 October 2024. 

The quality assurance report that was published alongside the topic release includes information relevant to this question.