In October 2021, The National Archives announced that the 1921 census for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man will be published by the online UK-based genealogy service Findmypast on 6 January 2022.
The 1921 census for Scotland will be published by ScotlandsPeople and is currently expected to be out in late 2022. The 1921 Census in Ireland never took place due to the Partition of Ireland in the same year, with a later census taking place in 1926 in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Comprising of more than 30,000 bound volumes of original documents stored on 1.6 linear kilometers of shelving, the 1921 census provides a detailed snapshot of 38 million lives in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man and is the first census to recognize divorce and note people’s occupation, place of work and employer.
Taken once a decade, censuses remain secret for 100 years before being published. Making the 1921 census even more valuable is that it will be the last census release for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man for 30 years. The 1931 census was lost in a fire in 1942, and the 1941 census was never taken due to the Second World War. The 1921 census, therefore, fills a large gap in research for historians and genealogists.
Findmypast have spent over two and a half years conserving, transcribing and digitizing the census in association with The National Archives and with support from the Office for National Statistics.
Discussing the long-awaited release of the 1921 census, Neil Curtis, Chief Operating Officer at The National Archives, said:
“…census releases are keenly anticipated and create a period of collective curiosity about the past, generating a national moment of reflection. The 1921 census will offer us a glimpse into the lives of individuals and communities between the wars recovering from a great influenza pandemic and embarking on a new era where everyday rights and roles were changing”.
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