The 1991 census was the first UK census to have a question on ethnic group.[4] In the 1991 UK census 94.65% of people reported themselves as being White British, White Irish or White Other with 5.35% of people reporting themselves as coming from other minority groups.[5][6][7][8][9] Other new questions were on limiting long-term illness and term-time address for students. A question about central heating replaced the previously used question on outside toilets.[3]
The census was also noted for a significant undercount of the population. Despite being compulsory, a total of 572,000 people failed to respond to both the census form and follow-up interviews, 220,000 of them being males aged 20 to 29. It has been suggested that part of the lack of response could be due to people attempting to avoid registration for the poll tax.[10]
A total of 342 people were prosecuted for not completing their census returns.[11]
^P. Boyle and D. Dorling. Guest editorial: the 2001 UK census: remarkable resource or bygone legacy of the 'pencil and paper era'? . Area, Volume 36, Number 2, June 2004, p104.
^ abOffice of Population Censuses and Surveys, General Register Office for Scotland (1992). 1991 Census Definitions Great Britain. London: HMSO. ISBN0-11-691361-4.
^A. Teague. Ethnic group: first results from the 1991 census. Population Trends, No. 72, Summer 1993. 12-17
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