It was agreed by cabinet earlier this month that the country’s next census will be held on May 9th, 2027. For the first time ever, members of the public will be able to fill out their forms prior to the date rather than on a single night.

The public will also be able to complete their census forms online as well as by paper.

A further change will see a move to a ‘usually resident’ count, with people asked to complete the form for where they usually live, and not where they spend census night, as has previously been the case. The CSO said that this adjustment would ensure more precise data on population distribution.

The Central Statistics Office held a public consultation on the content of this upcoming census in late 2022, and an online pilot survey was carried out. The content of the form was determined by this public consultation with more than 400 submissions which were then subject to review by a Census Advisory Group (CAG). The proposed questions were then tested by a Census Pilot Survey in September last year with the final question set based on the results of the research.

New questions proposed for inclusion include gender, sexual orientation, mental health, the form of highest qualification achieved, and where a household’s car(s) are parked.

A time capsule option will be included again, where respondents can leave a personal message for future research.

In general, a census has taken place every five years since 1946. Usually, a census is taken in a year ending in 1 and 6, however, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the last census took place in 2022.

The upcoming release of the 1926 census records of Ireland will be celebrated across a major public programme of events next year. The National Archives will make the entire 1926 census, comprising over 700,000 individual household returns, freely available and freely searchable online on April 18^th 2026.

The CSO’s Head of Census Digital Transformation Eileen Murphy said it was “an exciting time of change” and that preparations for Census 2027 are well underway. “The value of the census cannot be overstated. The results help to inform policy and decision making, provide the evidence to better target services where needed and offers insights into changes in Irish society.

“Moreover, it is a collective endeavour that forms a fundamental part of our national heritage and shared knowledge. We look forward to engaging with the public through an extensive awareness and communications campaign ahead of Census 2027.”

 

NB – This is a guide for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have an issue requiring legal advice, please contact any of the team at Nolan Farrell & Goff LLP, whose numbers can be found on our website www.nfg.ie, or email info@nfg.ie.