What did the 2001 Census tell us about Luton?

The census is a count of all people and households; it is the most complete source of information about the population.

Why is the Census important?

The census is important because it allows central and local government, health authorities and many other organisations as well as members of the public to target their resources more effectively and to plan housing, education, health and transport services for years to come. For the first time, due to the e-government initiative, census information is being made freely available to the public via the internet.

Confidentiality

Information on individual people is not released to any organisation. The confidentiality of personal information is of paramount importance and adheres to the principles of the Data Protection Act.  Disclosure of personal census information is an offence. The Office for National Statistics have processed the census forms in secure conditions. Paper copies will be destroyed. Digital images of individual responses will only be made public after 100 years.

Measures are also taken to prevent inadvertent disclosure of information about individuals through the statistical results. For example, information will not be released for areas containing fewer than 100 households.

Warnings

There are a number of changes to the 2001 census that all users should be aware of if they wish to compare results with those of the 1991 census.

• 2001 is the first census that has made adjustments for "missing" people.
  
• It will include students at their term time address - last time they were included at their home address.

There will be new information on relationships within households, the lowest floor level of accommodation, unpaid personal care and religion.

There will be no information on income, but there will be information on socio-economic groups. There is no information on disability, but there will be information on limiting long term illnesses and general health over the past year.

Luton data

The research & intelligence team have taken a planned and staged approach to the dissemination of 2001 census findings to the council, its partners, and the wider population, and which corresponds to the release of data by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Commencing with a profile of the Borough that outlined key information such as age structure, economic activity, ethnicity, socio-economic status, the team then published comparable profiles at the regional and national (England and Wales) levels.

Following the publication of this 'top level' information, the team published a more in-depth paper 'Luton in 2001' which included graphs and GIS mapping to illustrate differences within the Borough at ward level, and wider comparisons where relevant. Each ward then had a profile of its individual findings completed.

The team produced a set of 'theme papers' which took individual subjects (such as deprivation, health, demography and ethnicity) and produced in-depth analysis of findings within the Borough, the region and nationally. Mapping of key findings within these papers is ongoing.

Future work to be undertaken will include outputs in accordance with neighbourhoods within Luton (when defined) and work on migration and travel-to-work areas, once these data sets have been released from the ONS. Profiles on the pre-May 2003 boundaries will also be produced, to facilitate comparisons with data form the 1991 census.

Please note that Luton Borough Council is licensed by the Office for National Statistics to make available 2001 census data to third parties. However this licence does not permit third parties to reproduce 2001 census data without themselves obtaining a licence from the Office for National Statistics.

Response rates to 2001 census. This report examines the response rates to the 2001 census across England & Wales, with a more detailed breakdown of the Luton figures. The following figures were produced by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).  Analysis of response

Census publication guide

The majority of data on the 2001 census has now been released from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and the Research & intelligence team have published a number of different outputs and reports.  We appreciate that there are a number of different publications available, and therefore the attached guide attempts to provide some information on the areas and depth of each paper. Hopefully, this will assist you in finding the information you require in a timely and efficient manner. Census publication guide

Luton Borough profile
The following report outlines a profile of Luton Borough using the key statistics from the 2001 census. Please note that the male, female and total population figures differ from those released on 30th September 2002 because of revisions to this data. The figures here update those released on the 30th September 2002.  

2001 Census age by ethnicity

Attached is a document showing age by ethnic group by gender for Luton using data from the 2001 census. As this is by far the most requested piece of information, the research & intelligence team are making this information available. 2001 Census age by ethnicity

Luton audit family

Please find attached a report of Census 2001 outputs comparing Luton to it's audit family. Luton audit family

Luton in 2001

Please find attached a more in-depth profile of Luton Borough from the 2001 census data. The paper outlines detailed output including information on demographics, households, ethnicity, education, health and the labour market. The data is taken from the standard tables for local authorities, released on 7th May 2003, and from the key statistics for local authorities, released on 13th February 2003.The research & intelligence team are currently in discussion with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) concerning information on students which was supplied from the last release of data. Therefore, the tables on students and schoolchildren are blank in the document. A revised profile will be placed on the Internet as soon as our discussions are completed. Luton in 2001

Labour market

Please find attached the theme paper on 2001 census data, which detail the Labour Market. This theme paper gives more in-depth analyses of various topics, and will give Luton Ward through to national comparative data. We have added commentary to this paper, to provide more of an insight into the areas in question.  Labour Market

Demography ethnicity

Please find attached the theme paper on 2001 census data, which detail demography & ethnicity. This theme paper gives more in-depth analyses of various topics, and will give Luton Ward through to national comparative data. We have added commentary to this paper, to provide more of an insight into the areas in question. Demography & ethnicity

Deprivation

Please find attached a theme paper on 2001 census data, which provides detailed information on deprivation. As previously outlined, these theme papers give more in-depth analyses of various topics, and will give Luton Ward through to national comparative data. We have added commentary to these papers, to provide more of an insight into the areas in question.

Households

Please find attached a theme paper on 2001 census data, which provides detailed information on households. As previously outlined, these theme papers give more in-depth analyses of various topics, and will give Luton Ward through to national comparative data. We have added commentary to these papers, to provide more of an insight into the areas in question.

Health

Please find attached a  theme paper on 2001 census data, which provides detailed information on health. As previously outlined, these theme papers give more in-depth analyses of various topics, and will give Luton Ward through to national comparative data. We have added commentary to these papers, to provide more of an insight into the areas in question.  Health