Census 2021: Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion data available in Community Insight

 

The small area ethnic group, national identity, language and religion census data is now live in Community Insight. You can start using and analysing this data for all your stock groups. 

For guidance on using Census 2021 data in Community Insight please see “How to explore Census 2021 data in Community Insight”.

Summary of published data 

Download the full list of indicators now available in Community Insight

We have added 68 indicators to Community Insight. This release includes small area data from the ethnic group, national identity, language and religion topic summary.

Indicators for the following datasets can now be seen in Community Insight: 

  • English language proficiency (5 indicators)
  • Ethnic Group (25 indicators)
  • Household language (4 indicators)
  • Households with multiple ethnic groups (6 indicators)
  • Households with multiple languages (4 indicators)
  • National identity (16 indicators)
  • Religion (8 indicators)

ONS also published detailed breakdowns of main language, national identity and religion datasets. These are currently not available in Community Insight as the data has not been published at Output Area (and will show very low numbers in many instances). However, we can add breakdowns that are useful to you upon request – please send these to support@ocsi.co.uk 

Additional census religion data in Community Insight

The question about religion in the 2021 census was voluntary. Overall, 94.0% (56.0 million) of usual residents answered the question.

ONS percentages are calculated out of the overall population as opposed to out of the population who responded to the religion question. Because the census question about religious affiliation is voluntary and has varying response rates, caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses (source ONS).

Alongside adding the official ONS figures to Community Insight, we have also included an additional indicator for each religion that uses only people who responded to the religion question as the denominator. These indicators are displayed as [Religion] (% of all respondents – Census 2021)

Below is an example how these distinct indicators display in Community Insight

  • Jewish (% of all people – Census 2021)
  • Jewish (% of all respondents – Census 2021)

These supplementary indicators that use respondents only as the denominator provide additional value as the response rates vary considerably across local areas. There are a multitude of possible driving factors behind non-response rates, which are not necessarily related to religious affiliation.

The ONS figures are the ones that will be in your default themes. However, should you want to use the alternative figures you can find these on the Dashboard or add them to the map using the manage indicators page.

Reports

We have updated 35 of the indicators in the Community Insight report. You will need to update your reports  in order to see Census 2021 data here.

Data includes:

Community Insight England:

  • Population by ethnic group (pg. 5)
  • Population by household language (pg. 6)
  • Population by religion (pg. 9)

Community Insight Wales:

  • Population by ethnic group (pg. 5)
  • Population by religion (pg 9)
  • Population by household language (pg. 10)

 

Census 2021: UK Armed Forces Veterans data

The small area UK Armed Forces Veterans census data is now live in Community Insight. You can start using and analysing this data for all your custom areas.

For guidance on using Census 2021 data in Community Insight please see “How to explore Census 2021 data in Community Insight”.

Summary of published data

Download the list of indicators.

We have added 14 indicators to Community Insight. This release includes small area data from the UK Armed Forces Veterans topic summary. Indicators for the following datasets can now be seen in Community Insight:

  • Household reference person indicator of previous service in UK armed forces (4 indicators)
  • Previously served in the UK armed forces (4 indicators)
  • Number of people in household who have previously served in UK armed forces (4 indicators)
  • Population who have previously served in UK armed forces in communal establishments and in households (2 indicators)

Data availability

Please note the smallest geography this data has been published at is MSOA level.

This may have an impact on how you can view data for your stock groups

Viewing data on the map

While the smallest geography that the data has been published at is MSOA level, we have used population weighted apportioning so that you are also able to view this data at LSOA level on the map.

As we have used population weighted apportioning, this may mean that some component LSOAs of a parent MSOA will have slightly different data values and may be shaded a different colour on the choropleth map.

Viewing data for custom areas

As the data is published at MSOA level, it is more difficult to accurately apportion to stock groups that are built out of smaller building blocks. We use population weighted apportioning to generate data for your stock groups. Please see below for guidance on how this works for different area types.

Areas larger than an MSOA, built out of MSOA or Local Authorities: We use the figures published by ONS to build areas out of MSOAs and Local Authorities.

Areas larger than an MSOA, built out of LSOAs or OAs: Some stock groups are larger than MSOAs but built out of smaller component areas (eg, areas that you create by drawing on a map). For these, we use population weighted apportioning to derive a value for each of the LSOAs.

As we round apportioned results to the nearest round numbers, there may be some small variances in data at a sub-MSOA level.

Areas smaller than an MSOA: As with the above, we use population weighted apportioning to derive values for areas smaller than MSOA level.

As the data is only published at MSOA level, data values are based on estimates rather than exact figures and so should be used with caution.

Reports

UK Armed Forces Veterans data is not available to view within reports. For guidance on how best to view this data in Community Insight, please see “How to explore Census 2021 data in Community Insight”.

How to explore Census 2021 data in Community Insight

You can view Census 2021 indicators across Community Insight through Dashboards, Maps and Reports.

To make it easier to locate the new census indicators they all have (Census 2021) in their indicator titles. 

The Dashboard 

The easiest way to see Census 2021 indicators for your stock groups is by using the Dashboard.

  1. Open the Dashboard tab
  2. Click the Data icon 
  3. Select Build a custom dashboard
  4. Use the search bar to find the census indicator you want, for example, Pensioner living alone. Or type in the key search term Census 2021
  5. You can select both the 2011 and 2021 timepoints (Not all the 2021 indicators have corresponding 2011 indicators as some questions were asked for the first time in the 2021 census)
  6. Click on the ‘currently selected’ theme to see the indicators you have selected (this will also show you if they are assigned to a theme or not, which will be useful to know when it comes to adding indicators to the map)
  7. When you are happy with your selection, click the blue Done button.

The Map

Not all Census 2021 indicators will be available on your map’s data menu by default. Many of the indicators will be in the unassigned theme. This means that they will need to be added to a theme by Group Admin users on the manage indicators page before they can be viewed on the map.

Additionally, depending on how your themes have been set up by your organisation, you may find that the indicators are somewhat spread around various themes.

We provide guidance below on where to look, but please get in touch with our support team if you are having trouble we are happy to help.

The Census 2021 theme on the map

Back in June 2022 when the first round of census data was released, we created a theme for all our clients titled Census 2021. This contained the 25 headline usual resident population indicators (by sex and age). Originally ,this data was only published at local authority level and rounded to the nearest 100. 

ONS has published the small-area equivalents of:

  • All people (Census 2021)
  • All Males (Census 2021)
  • All Females (Census 2021)

We have now updated these indicators in the Census 2021 theme with the more granular data, so that you can see the data at MSOA and LSOA level as well as for all stock groups.  

You can use this Census 2021 theme as you choose:

  • Keep as is with key population indicators
  • Remove Census 2021 theme and move the indicators to alternative themes
  • Use the Census 2021 theme as your go-to theme for Census 2021 data to help your colleagues find data more easily.

Any changes to the Census 2021 theme need to be managed by a Group Admin, using the Manage Indicators functionality.

 

New indicators for Census 2021

Some indicators are  based on questions that were asked for the first time in Census 2021. For example, the indicator Married: Same-sex. These new indicators (that do not have 2011 counterparts) are not available on your Community Insight Map by default. Group Admin users can add these indicators to the maps using the Manage Indicators functionality.

 

Census 2021 indicators that have Census 2011 counterparts

If you already had an existing Census 2011 indicator displaying on your map, which has now been updated, it will be automatically replaced with the Census 2021 data. For example, the Pensioner living alone indicator.

 

Reports 

Some census indicators will also be updated and included in your Community Insight reports. We will inform you which indicators have been updated in reports as part of each data release.

You will need to update your reports to see the latest Census 2021 data after each release.

Compare Census 2011 and Census 2021 data in Community Insight 

You can compare Census 2021 indicators with their 2011 counterparts in Community Insight through the Dashboard and on the Maps.

 

View 2021 and 2011 data on the Maps 

When viewing an indicator on the map, click on the name and the corresponding 2011 indicator will show underneath it. 

Use the Data for your areas popup

The Data for your areas popup shows a table with the percentage and count data for the indicator you’ve selected for all your stock groups. When viewing the census indicators you can see 4 columns: percentage and count data for the 2021 and 2011 census timepoints. 

How to open the data for your areas popup

  • Click on the Data button to open the menu and click on the name of the dataset to view it on the map.
  • Click on the Info button, in the top right hand corner
  • Click Data for your areas to see the data for your stock groups.

On the dashboard

Use the build a custom dashboard tool to select any of the 2021 and 2011 census indicators to view on your dashboard. 

Top tip: Use the search bar and type in 2011 or 2021 to filter for the relevant indicators.

Organise the new census data in your Community Insight Group

Group Admin users can add new indicators to the maps using the Manage Indicators option.

To do this:

  1. Go to the Group admin tab and click Manage Indicators
  2. Click on the theme titled unassigned located under the themes header 
  3. Search for the census indicator by typing the indicator name or a keyword such as Census 2021.
  4. Drag and drop the indicator into a theme 
  5. Check the box underneath the map column to show that indicator on your groups map

Upcoming census releases 

ONS has a release calendar that is regularly updated to provide information on upcoming releases. Once ONS publishes the data, we aim to have data live within 3 working days. 

 

Demography and migration census data live in Community Insight

 

The small-area Demography and Migration census data is now live in Community Insight England and Wales just two days after release by the The Office of National Statistics (ONS). You can start using and analysing this data for all your stock groups. 

 

Summary of published data 

 

Download the full list of indicators now available in Community Insight

 

We have updated or added 74 indicators to Community Insight. This release includes small-area data from the Demography and Migration topic summary. 

Indicators for the following datasets can now be seen in Community Insight: 

  • Resident age and sex (3 indicators)
  • Household (1 indicator)
  • Number of Usual Residents in Households and Communal Establishments (1 indicator)
  • Legal Partnership Status (11 indicators)
  • Household Composition (14 indicators)
  • Households by Deprivation Dimensions (5 indicators)
  • Country of Birth (11 indicators)
  • Passports Held (17 indicators)
  • Length of Residence (4 indicators)
  • Age of Arrival in the UK (3 indicators)
  • Migrant Indicator (4 indicators)

Reports

We have updated 26 of the indicators in the Community Insight report. You will need to update your reports in order to see Census 2021 data here.

Data includes:

  • Country of birth / passports held (pg. 6)
  • People who have moved addresses (pg. 7)
  • Household composition (pg. 8)
  • Household deprivation dimensions (pg. 22)