First census of Great Britain held
- When
- 1801
- Where
- Great Britain
- Episodes
- 1
The first modern census in British history was conducted in 1801 following the passage of the Census Act in 1800. The enumeration revealed a total population of 10.5 million for Great Britain, with specific counts recorded for England, Wales, and Scotland.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. The Census Act was passed in 1800, authorising the first modern census in British history to be conducted. Since 1801, a census has been conducted almost every decade, making the 1801 enumeration the starting point of a near-decennial counting tradition.
Results. The first Census in 1801 revealed that the population of Great Britain was 10.5 million. The breakdown showed England's population as 8.3 million, Wales' population as 0.6 million, and Scotland's population as 1.6 million.
Sources
- Demographics of the United Kingdom Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-03
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.