What is the last census available for family history?

For those with English and Welsh ancestors, the 1921 Census of England and Wales is the most recent census available to explore online. Taken on 19 June 1921, it includes detailed household information, from names and ages to marital status and key employment details. 

This particularly revealing resource offers insight into lives shaped by the tides of historical change, from events like the First World War and the Spanish flu pandemic to socio-economic transformations. 

Findmypast worked with The National Archives to bring the 1921 Census online - you can explore the census in full on Findmypast and other family history websites. 

1921 Census of Scotland 

As those with Scottish roots will know, Scottish genealogy can prove slightly trickier, due to differences in administrative and record-keeping practices and fewer available records.  

Scottish households filled out census returns at the same time as their English and Welsh counterparts. While National Records of Scotland hold the original records, the 1921 Census of Scotland has also been digitised and made available to search online on ScotlandsPeople. 

20th-century Irish census records 

Ireland is an outlier in terms of 1920s censuses. There was no Irish census taken in 1921 due to the War of Independence. This means that the most recent Irish census available to family historians is the 1911 Census. Held by the National Archives of Ireland, these records can be searched online via Findmypast.  

While many pre-1901 records were tragically destroyed by a fire at the Public Records Office in 1922, the 1901 and 1911 Irish censuses survived. 

The next major release for Irish family historians is the 1926 Census of Ireland. This landmark survey was taken just a few years after the establishment of the Irish Free State. It was the first census conducted by the new government and offers a vital insight into post-independence Ireland, with information on age, occupation, religion, language spoken, and housing conditions. 

Due to Ireland’s 100-year rule on census privacy, the 1926 Census is scheduled for release in 2026. When made public, it will help bridge the frustrating gap between 1911 and modern-day records, and will be particularly useful for tracing Irish ancestors born in the early 20th century. 

The 1931 Census for England and Wales was destroyed in a fire at a storage facility in 1942. No copies survived, and no backups were made. This leaves a 30-year gap between the 1921 Census and the next available census - the 1951 Census, due for release in 2052. 

There was also no census in 1941, due to the Second World War.  

The 1951 Census will be the next whole English and Welsh census to be released. We have a while to wait, though - as per the 100-year privacy rule, it will be made available from January 2052.  

The 1951 Census will offer a glimpse of the nation in the post-war period. Interestingly, it was the first census to ask households about amenities like cooking facilities and indoor toilets. Future census returns continued the trend of tracking social changes. The 2001 Census was the first one to ask about religion, while in 2011, civil partnerships were included.  

Censuses have been taken around the world for hundreds of years, so if your ancestors aren't British or Irish, you may still be able to trace their stories through census records. Thanks to digitisation projects and the power of the internet, they are increasingly becoming available to researchers around the globe.  

If you have British or Irish ancestry, United States censuses may help you trace relatives who left during the major waves of emigration in the 19th and 20th centuries. With passenger lists, census returns and more, it's never been easier to trace your ancestors' migrations.