Project Title:

Census 2022 National Adjustment; Using the Scottish Longitudinal Survey to quality assure and potentially adjust population estimate sex ratios

Project Number:

2022_002

Researchers:

Ralph McDevitt
Michael Edie
Ben Little
Will Howes
Caroline Ellis
Esta Clarke
Greg Blackadder
Lee Williamson
Chris Dibben
Helen Corby
Gillian Raab

Start Date:

1st June 2023

Summary:

National Records of Scotland (NRS) is responsible for Scotland’s Census. It happens every decade, providing information on all people and households in Scotland.

The census is of national strategic importance, being fundamental to resource allocation between UK countries, and across Scotland. Government, councils, the NHS, and public, private and third-sector users rely on census outputs. Accurate census outputs support the planning of many vital public services across Scotland, aiming to improve the lives of Scotland’s people.

Population estimates for Scotland are produced using responses to the census and the Census Coverage Survey^[1] (CCS). By examining the census coverage patterns in the CCS, the undercount and thus true population estimate can be arrived at for each demographic group and area.

Despite this process, there is likely to be some level of bias in the population estimates. To deal with this we have planned a number of bias correction processes, one of which is a national adjustment.

Following the main NRS-led National Adjustments project, the UoE SLS-DSU team will do some further research once the 2022 Census is linked into the SLS (in the next years) to investigate the 2022 non-response/undercount. This will be using a longitudinal approach, given at 2011 Census the likely groups who may not be found in 2022 Census (ie young males under 30, students, etc) will have been living within the family home at 2011 Census and coupled with the migration data (from NHSCR) held as part of the SLS – which will provide a unique insight into the Census non-response.

[1] Scotland’s Census 2022 – PMP002 – Census Coverage Survey (CCS) Sample Methodology (pdf)

References:

Scotland’s Census 2022 Securing high quality Census Outputs and Population Estimates

https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/2022-census-in-scotland/pages/2/#:~:text=These%20set%20out%20a%20person,whose%20return%20rate%20was%2066%25.

Related Outputs (viewable on CALLS Hub):

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