Release all records from each census after 75 years instead of 100 years
A census gives the government a picture of households across the UK and is also used by genealogists to research family history. The UK has a longer waiting time for census records to be released, at 100 years compared to Canada's 92 and USA's 72. We'll have to wait until 2052 for the next release.
Signatures
43
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 43/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 43/100,000
- 31 JAN 2026Petition closedFinal total: 43 signatures
- 31 JUL 2025Petition opened for signatures
Background
From the Inter-War period, genealogists in the UK have the information given to them about ancestors from the 1921 census and 1939 England and Wales Register.
However, the 1931 census was burnt in a fire in 1942 so that leaves a 30-year gap between the 1921 census and next available census from 1951.
Between the UK, USA and Canada, the UK has the longest wait for census records to be released, and I think that it should be lowered to 75 years instead.