Marketing campaign summary - large print
A summary of our marketing campaign in large print.
Scotland’s Census is the official count of every person and household in the country.
It usually takes place every 10 years. The census asks questions about people’s age, sex, home and living situation, employment, education and qualifications, as well as ethnicity.
Completing the census is important because the answers provide the Scottish Government, and many other service providers with the data they need to make important decisions that affect people’s lives and their communities.
These decisions include how money will be spent on important services in our communities, like education, housing, healthcare, roads and railways, and so much more.
Census Day is Sunday 20 March, but you will be able to complete your census online as soon as you receive your letter. However the answers must reflect your household on Sunday 20 March.
You can complete your census online or by requesting a paper copy.
From the end of February 2022, households will begin to receive a letter with instructions on how to complete their census online.
The census completion website will be live from 28 February.
- Visit www.census.gov.scot
- Click START
- Enter the unique Internet Access Code from the letter you received
- Follow the on-screen instructions
If you need to request a paper copy, or if you need a new Internet Access Code, go to census.gov.scot or phone the helpline on 0800 030 8308.
Yes. Every household in Scotland has a legal responsibility to complete a census questionnaire.
This is vital to ensure that the census provides detailed and accurate information about the entire nation.
The person who either lives, owns, rents the property or pays the household bills is responsible for completing the census.
If you live in a care home, halls of residence or hostel, and are over the age of 16, you will need to complete an individual census as well as taking part in the communal establishment questionnaire.
Once the completion website (www.census.gov.scot) is live from 28 February, you will be able to visit and find detailed guidance on how to answer every question in the languages below.
There is also further language support available via our helpline on 0800 030 8308.
- Arabic
- Cantonese
- Czech
- Farsi
- Gaelic
- Hindi
- Kurdish
- Lithuanian
- Mandarin
- Polish
- Punjabi
- Romanian
- Russian
- Slovak
- Turkish
- Urdu
We have worked with a range of disability groups to ensure the census is as accessible as possible.
If you need support or require a
copy of the questionnaire in a different format please get in touch with the contact centre or go to www.census.gov.scot.
You can also ask a carer, friend or relative for help filling in your census.
If you have hearing or speech difficulties, please use the text relay service on 18001 0800 030 8308.
Yes. Before we publish any census data, we remove all personal information to ensure that
individuals cannot be identified by their responses.
Census data goes unpublished for 100 years and the government is committed to ensuring the people who can access it is kept at a minimum.
Our contact centre will be open from 28 February and is free to call from any landline, or mobile phone on 0800 030 8308.
You can also get in touch via the webchat on www.census.gov.scot