Welcome to the December edition of the migration and population statistics newsletter, which includes news on recent and upcoming releases and events, and updates on the work we have been doing in the last quarter. Look out for the next edition in March 2021.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

ONS continues to work to ensure that the UK has the vital information needed to respond to the impact of this pandemic on our economy and society. Take a look at the Coronavirus (COVID-19) landing page on our website where you can find all the latest ONS data and analysis. 

Take a look at the latest data and analysis

Population and migration statistics transformation

In November we provided an update on our next steps for migration statistics. As part of our transformation journey to make use of all available data sources to provide a richer and deeper understanding of population and migration we are developing new measures of international migration based on administrative data sources. Our first published report on these new measures, referred to as Admin-based Migration Estimates (ABMEs), will provide an update on our progress in their development, as well as presenting a first iteration of these experimental estimates. As set out in our November update, we now plan to publish this report in early 2021.  Our ABME reports will demonstrate iterative progress towards a transformed migration system and will provide users with clear messages on our next steps.

Read the overview here

ONS Longitudinal Study (LS) joins CLOSER 

We reported in the last newsletter that the ONS Longitudinal Study (LS) was joining the CLOSER partnership. Through this partnership, the LS joins 18 other longitudinal studies including Understanding Society and the four national birth cohort studies (1946, 1958, 1670 and 2000-1). More information is available at the CLOSER website.  

The focus for the LS team has turned to the 2021 Census, and planning to link Census 2021 data to the ONS Longitudinal Study is at an advanced stage. This will be the sixth tranche of census data linked through the LS, providing insight on the population of England and Wales over a 50 year period of significant social change. The results of the linkage work will also play a highly important role in quality assuring the population estimates produced from the 2021 Census.

Census 2021 Outputs

If you would like to stay in touch or understand more about Census Outputs and Analysis, you can subscribe here to receive email updates. The 2021 Census Outputs list can be found within the Census subscription topic. Our stakeholder privacy notice is viewable here.

If you would like more detailed information on this topic, or have a specific Census Outputs questions, you can contact the team via email census.outputs@ons.gov.uk.

The State of Ageing in 2020 Report

Our partner, the Centre for Ageing Better, published their flagship ‘State of Ageing in 2020’ online report on 19^th November. The report uses national data sets to measure experiences of ageing across four key areas: health, communities, homes and work. A key theme is the impact the Coronavirus pandemic has had on pre-existing inequalities in England.

Related and upcoming releases

Please be advised that publication schedules could be affected by ONS's ongoing response to the COVID-19 situation.

5 January 2021 (confirmed)

• Electoral Statistics, UK: March 2020

14 January 2021 (confirmed)

• Population by country of birth and nationality: July 2019 to June 2020

14 January 2021 (confirmed) 

• Overview of the UK Population

February 2021 (provisional)

• Families & Households in the UK: 2020

The publication of the Families and Households in the UK: 2020 release, provisionally planned for November 2020 has been delayed until February 2021. This delay is the result of a statistical issue with the Labour Force Survey data for 2020, further details are available here. The most up-to-date estimates of Families and Households in the UK were published in November 2019 and are available in Families and Households in the UK: 2019

See the ONS release calendar

ONS Centres

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Centres focus on areas of significant policy interest to produce new analysis and insights which are often cross-cutting and in partnership with other government departments, academics and external bodies. The centres undertake a wide range of work to fill crucial evidence gaps by utilising new sources of data; adopting the latest tools and approaches; and, work in collaboration with others.

Centre for Ageing and Demography - providing statistics and analysis on the UK's changing population

Centre for International Migration - understanding migration's significance in our population and economy

Read about the ONS Centres

ONS Twitter accounts

• @ONS is the place to find out about statistics
• @ONSFocus is the official platform for news and discussion about what's happening at ONS. It is designed for everyone with an interest in the numbers that matter most and how they are produced.

Devolved countries

The devolved countries for the UK are Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For statistics relating to those individual countries, please see the links below:

• Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) - link to website
• National Records of Scotland (NRS) - link to website
• Welsh Government (WG) - link to website

Useful links

As well as the ONS website, you may also find the websites below useful:

• The National Archives - archived versions of the ONS website
• Nomis - a free web service where you can download ONS data
• Open Geography Portal - definitive source of geographic products, tools and services
• National Statistical - news and insight from the ONS

Contact us

Should you have any questions about the content of this newsletter, please email us at pop.info@ons.gov.uk, or call us on +44 (0)1329 444661.