Any day now, postmen and women throughout the country will stumble, grumbling, to every residence in the UK delivering Census forms.
March 27 is Census Day. And every household will be legally obliged to complete it. Those who fail to do so, could, in theory, face prosecution, a fine up to £1000 and a criminal record.
For some, the ten-yearly pry into the affairs smacks of 1984 (what a shame that wasn’t a Census year) – and Big Brother.
The Government’s official line is that the Census is needed to ‘help government and local authorities plan the services and resources people need, such as transport, housing, healthcare and education’, although you can bet your last penny that there will be rabid frothing in a number of publications about immigration and Jedi Knights after the results are finally published.
The truth, at least according to the 2001 Census is more prosaic. Of course things have changed in 10 years, but the key facts of 2001 showed the population of 58.8m was lower than expected, a growth of just 17% compared to the European average of 23%. In contrast, Australia showed a change of 133%.
And while two areas of London, Newham and Brent, became the first in the UK to have a non-white majority, 87% of the population of England and 96% of the population of Wales gave their ethnic origin as White British. Only 9% of people in the UK said they were non-white.
As expected, London had the highest proportion of people from minority ethnic groups. Black Caribbeans accounted for more than 10% of the population of the London boroughs of Lewisham, Lambeth, Brent and Hackney. With the same figure for Black Africans in Southwark, Newham, and again, Lambeth and Hackney.
Yet countrywide, after white British and Irish, the largest ethnic population was Indian, accounting for a mere 2% of the population.
In the whole of England and Wales, just a little over 1% of people are Black Caribbean, while less than 1% were Black African.
Moreover, despite a media backlash over the Muslim community, Christianity is by far the main religion in Great Britain. There were 41m Christians in 2001, making up 72% of the population. In contrast, a touch under 3% were Muslim – a total of 1.5m people. While that means that Muslims are now the second largest religion in the UK, people with no religion formed the second largest group, 15% of the population.
Under ‘Other Religions’, the largest of these were Spiritualists (32,000) and Pagans (31,000). One cannot help but think TV programmes like Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer led to a large surge in the 7,000 Wicca, eclipsing the 5,000 Rastafarians.
An internet campaign to have Jedi Knight recognised as a new religion failed to resonate with the Government, who lumped them with the ‘No Religion’ crowd. Nevertheless, 390,000 called themselves Jedis.
Whether the Jedis actually met women and fathered children remains a question for this latest census, but the questionnaire continues to provide a fascinating snapshot.
The Census was introduced in 1801, when the UK recorded a population of just 10.9m.
Unfortunately, not even Frost has the space to document every change since, but hare are some key facts of our lifetime.
1911 – Population 36.1m
The average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime – The Total Fertility Rate – was 2.8, higher than it is today. Infectious diseases were the main cause of death.
Sadly, 110 out of every 1,000 babies died before reaching their first birthday – almost one in four.
A child born in 1911 had a short life-expectancy – 51 for a boy, 55 for a girl.
1921 – Population 37.9m
The 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic caused 152,000 excess deaths in England and Wales between June 1918 and May 1919. Most of these were infants, children, and adults under 40.
The Great War drastically reduced the male population aged between ages 20 and 40 with a total of 723,000 British servicemen losing their lives between 1914 and 1918.
1931 – Population 40m
With the loss of so many marriageable men, many women were single and childless. The Total Fertility Rate fell to just to 1.8 children per household.
However, improved public health and changing childcare practices lowered infant death rates, to 62 per 1,000 babies born.
Life expectancy was now 59 years for boys and 63 years for girls.
1951 – Population 43.8m
There was no census in 1941 because of World War II, so the 1951 Census highlighted 20 years of change.
The post-World War II baby boom led to a sharp increase in the number of children aged between two and four – 5.4% of the population.
Meanwhile, the impact of the National Health Service, introduced in 1948 boosted survival rates among all age groups.
Infant death rates fell to only 27 per 1,000. A boy born in 1951 was expected to live to 66 years and a girl to 71.
1961 – Population 46.1m
Most deaths were now caused by degenerative conditions such as heart disease, cancer and stroke, rather than infectious diseases.
An NHS programme of vaccinations again boosted survival rates with that of men aged between 45 and 64 catching up with women.
The late 1950’s/early 1960’s baby boom showed the Total Fertility Rate had gone back up to 2.8 children, matching the 1911 figure.
Infant death rates continued to fall – to 21 per 1,000 born. A boy born in 1961 had a life expectancy of 68 years, a girl 74.
1971 Population 48.7m
While the 1960’s baby boom boosted numbers in the younger age groups, the 1970s showed a falling birth rate, with a Total Fertility Rate of 2.1, due in part to the availability of the contraceptive pill for married women.
More people lived longer and fewer babies were dying, with just 17 out of every 1,000 lost before their first birthday.
A boy born in 1971 could expect to live to 69 years, a girl to 75.
1981 – Population 48.5m
In 1974, the National Health Service made free contraception available to all women, which contributed to a period of very low childbearing in the late 1970s. The total population actually fell by about 200,000.
Infant deaths also fell to just 10 per 1,000 and survival rates among older people improved too. There were now noticeably more people aged 65 and over.
Life expectancy at birth reached 71 and 77 years for boys and girls respectively.
1991 – Population 49.9m
Births once again gradually increased throughout the 1980s. This was due to a combination of the 1960’s baby boomers having children and anxiety over the safety of the contraceptive pill – in particular, the link to breast cancer in 1987.
Life expectancy at birth was now 73 years for boys and 79 years for girls.
2001 – Population 52m
The 1990s again showed slow down in the birth rate, to just 1.6 children per household. The infant mortality rate also continued to fall, with just six babies dying before their first birthday for every 1,000 born – a massive sea change from the 110 per 1,000 in 1911.
2011 – ?
Census 2011 is likely to be an eye-opener. The population of the UK is estimated to be a touch under 62m. And there will undoubtedly be big changes in the diversity of the UK in all areas.
It remains to be seen whether the plethora of Harry Potter books and films, Twilight and True Blood lead to a UK full of wizards, witches, vampires, werewolves or Lonely Ones.
Watch this space.