Using the UK Census Longitudinal Studies to Investigate Long-Term Change

The UK Census Longitudinal Studies (UKCenLS) are a family of three linked individual level census-based datasets for each constituent country in the UK. These data provide large sample sizes for analysis of census variables as well as linked data to vital registrations and health service data. The Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study (ONS LS) contains census records from the 1971 to 2021 Censuses for more than one million individuals living in England and Wales, the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (NILS) contains records from the 1981 to 2021 Censuses for more than250,000 individuals and the Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS) contains records from the 1991 to 2022 Censuses for more than 500,000 individuals. Each study provides a continuously nationally representative sample through random inclusion of records via confidential birthdates. New members are added through registered births and immigration recorded via engagement with health services. Data on co-residents are also available. The data are ideal for analysing long-term longitudinal trends in individual characteristics measured in censuses as well as in linked data on mortality and cancer registration as well as an intergenerational or cohort changes in these measures. Access to each LS is provided through ESRC funded research support units that assist with project applications and approval and ONS Research Accreditation to access data via secure (remote and in-person) settings.