Census unearthed: explore 50 years of change from 1961

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Census unearthed: explore 50 years of change from 1961

9 August 2021

Between January and May this year, we released the 1961 Census Small Area Statistics (SAS). The Census Historical Research team has been exploring the data by comparing it with the 2011 Census. This has allowed us to see just how much society has changed in the intervening 50 years. We’re pleased to let you know that the result of this investigation is now available. We've included some interactive maps so that you can explore the data for local areas.

Exploring 50 years of change from 1961

The 1961 SAS are the first of our statistical archaeology projects to digitise historic census outputs. Work is currently underway to digitise the tables from the 1921 Census. Following this, we will continue with tables from 1931, 1951 and the remaining 1961 outputs. We hope to bring you updates on this work in the future.

Can you help?

The digitisation of historical records is made possible by the availability of original source material. If you are aware of any physical or scanned census related data and metadata held within your organisation, please get in touch. We are particularly interested in data related to lower levels of geography, such as enumeration district, and any metadata related to maps and boundaries.

Contact us 

For more information about the 1961 SAS or how to access the data, please visit the ONS website.

If you have any questions about this release, please contact: census.historical.research@ons.gov.uk