Introduction
This annual statistical work programme outlines key developments to official statistics published by National Records of Scotland (NRS) for the 2026 – 2027 reporting year.
This work programme is the first in its series and fulfils the new requirement of the refreshed Code of Practice for Statistics. It includes high level priorities for NRS statistics, as well as proposed changes to existing official statistics series.
Changes to existing official statistics series arise from increasing pressures on analytical capacity and the need to create space for improvement and modernisation activity. Any changes will be informed by engagement with our users. Engaging with our users helps to increase the relevance of our statistics, providing public value. This is underpinned by the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Background on NRS statistics
NRS publishes over 30 regular official statistics series on population, migration, households, and key life events (such as births, marriages and deaths) statistics. Those can be found on the NRS website.
NRS is responsible for conducting Scotland's Census, which provides essential information about the population, including size, distribution, and demographics. The last Census was carried out in 2022 and the next Census is scheduled for 2031. Results from 2022 and information about the upcoming Census can be found on the dedicated Scotland’s Census website.
We align our work with:
All our upcoming official statistics publications are announced on our statistics release calendar, in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Practice.
Priorities for NRS statistics
Our priorities will focus on two areas: increasing public value and making space for greater value. We want to increase public value created by our statistics, focussing on what users value, use and need most. Given budget and resource constraints, we also want to create capacity by reducing or stopping less valuable activities, and automating our processes as far as possible. This is in line with the value pillar of the Code of Practice. Below we set out the work we have planned.
We will increase public value by:
Improving user engagement by deepening our understanding of user needs and ensuring feedback shapes our statistical outputs, including through our new annual work programme and for the development of questions for Scotland’s Census 2031.
Building trustworthiness by showing we manage data responsibly and transparently. We will do this by strengthening our statistical leadership, and by consolidating and improving our policies on the standards we follow.
We will make space for greater value by:
Prioritising our key statistics to ensure that statistical production is sustainable. We will do this through a comprehensive review of our statistical publications, informed by engagement with users. Following this, we will monitor the impact of any changes, and introduce an annual review cycle to assess how well our statistics meet user needs and provide value, identifying opportunities to expand, improve, reduce or discontinue outputs as appropriate, and engaging users on these plans in our work programme. We will ensure we prioritise Census outputs based on user needs and focus on respondent centred design.
Automating our processes and making the best use of technology, embedding Reproducible Analytical Pipelines (RAP) principles and moving to open source coding to improve efficiency, quality and transparency.
Changes to regular NRS statistics
NRS is undertaking a review of our statistical publications. The review was initiated in response to increasing pressures on analytical capacity and the need to create space for improvement and modernisation activity. Current publication demands limit our ability to invest in developing methods, improving accessibility, responding to user needs, and delivering future transformation activity.
The review is therefore not primarily an exercise in reducing outputs, but in ensuring that our publication portfolio remains sustainable, impactful and capable of supporting the future analytical needs of Scotland.
This work is closely aligned with the Office of the Chief Statistician’s Strategic Priorities and the principles of Public Service Reform, which emphasise focusing resources where they deliver the greatest value, and ensuring public services remain sustainable in the longer term. For NRS statistics, this means carefully considering where analytical effort can be better directed towards high-value outputs, while continuing to meet user needs and statutory responsibilities.
The proposals have been developed through a comprehensive review of our statistical publications. In considering potential changes, we assessed publications against a range of factors, including user need and public value, policy and operational relevance, statutory requirements, opportunities to reduce duplication, and the long-term sustainability of statistical production. We also considered whether information could be provided more effectively through alternative publications, different publication frequencies, or redesigned products, and whether NRS remains the organisation best placed to produce and develop the statistics in the future.
To inform the review, we undertook extensive engagement with analytical teams across NRS, Scottish Government analysts and policy colleagues, Public Health Scotland, the Office for National Statistics, and other key stakeholders. Feedback from this engagement has helped shape the range of proposals presented here, which focus primarily on maintaining and improving the value of our statistics while ensuring resources can be directed towards future development, innovation and user needs.
We identified a range of proposals to ensure our statistics continue to meet user needs while making best use of available resources. These include:
Scaling back the frequency or content of some publications where user needs can be met through less frequent releases, more streamlined products, or data-only outputs.
Transferring responsibility for some statistics to organisations better placed to lead their future development, including the transfer of Healthy Life Expectancy statistics to Public Health Scotland.
Stopping or integrating a small number of publications where information is already available through other outputs or where alternative products provide more timely information.
The full list of proposed changes, the rationale for these proposals, and details on how to provide feedback are available on our dedicated Call for Feedback page.
While a number of changes are proposed, the majority of our statistical publications will continue unchanged, including key outputs such as the Mid-Year Population Estimates, Population and Household Projections, Drug-related Deaths, Registrar General's Annual Statistical Tables of Vital Events (formerly known as the Vital Events Reference Tables), and Life Expectancy.
Our proposals are subject to user feedback and are not final decisions. We are undertaking a six-week Call for Feedback to gather views from users before deciding how to proceed.
This public engagement focuses only on publications where changes are being proposed. Where a publication is not mentioned, this reflects that there are currently no plans to change it.
Following the feedback period, we will publish a summary of responses received and set out our final decisions, including how feedback has informed those decisions.
Our Census programme
Scotland’s Census is the official count of every person and household in the country. There has been a census in Scotland every 10 years since 1801, except 1941. The 2021 census in Scotland was moved to 2022 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The census provides detailed information about Scotland's population, covering topics such as demographics, type of accommodation, household relationships, health, employment and education.
Results from the 2022 Census can be found on the dedicated Scotland’s Census website. This includes reports, maps, and a flexible table builder.
For any feedback on these outputs, and to request any further information on the Census 2022 data and previous censuses, you can contact us through our Contact Us form on our census website.
The next Census will be held in 2031, on the same day as the censuses for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. We are working in partnership with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
You can read about the 2031 Census and we will publish information on our progress on our news page.
Where we are in the Census cycle
Figure description: Life cycle of Scotland's Census showing five stages: Plan (current stage), Prepare, Collect Responses, Analyse and Publish, and Review and Improve. Prepare includes a test and a rehearsal.
In June 2025 NRS recommended that a Census is taken in 2031. We carried out a consultation on the topics to include in the Census and published the results in a report in July 2026.
We are currently in the planning stage of the Census cycle. There are two milestones that NRS will reach to ensure that we are prepared for the live Census in 2031:
A test in 2027
A rehearsal in 2029
More information about the test is available on the Census website. Further updates, and information on the rehearsal, will be made available on the same site.
In the financial year 2026/27 our preparations will focus on the following activities:
Developing the high-level design for Scotland's Census 2031, informed by lessons learnt from Census 2022 and international census developments.
Continuing to develop and test Census questions, including cognitive testing and questionnaire design work following the topic consultation.
In partnership with ONS and NISRA, building and testing the digital collection systems and supporting operational processes required for the 2027 Census Test.
Undertaking research and engagement to improve participation and response rates across all communities, with a particular focus on groups that have historically been less likely to respond.
Developing our plans for community engagement, field operations, communications, accessibility and support services.
Continuing to work with data suppliers and partners to maximise the use of administrative data to support quality assurance and statistical outputs.
Preparing for and delivering the 2027 Census Test, which will provide evidence to inform decisions ahead of the 2029 rehearsal and the live Census in 2031.
Applying the Code of Practice to the Census
Our approach to preparing and delivering the Census aligns with the Code of Practice for Statistics:
Trustworthiness: We will be transparent about our plans, decisions and progress throughout the Census programme. We will regularly publish information on key milestones, research, testing activities and engagement findings, enabling stakeholders and the public to understand how decisions are made. We will continue to engage openly with users and provide timely updates on developments as preparations for the 2027 test, 2029 rehearsal and 2031 Census progress.
Quality: We are developing the Census using evidence from Census 2022, international best practice and extensive research and testing. Questionnaires, systems and operational processes will be tested before implementation, including through the 2027 Census Test and 2029 Rehearsal. We will continue to develop approaches to maximise participation, improve response rates and ensure high-quality outputs, supported by the appropriate use of administrative data and robust quality-assurance methods. We will set out our Statistical Quality Assurance Strategy (SQA) before we reach our rehearsal in 2029.
Value: The Census provides information that supports decision-making across government, public services, communities, businesses and academia. Our programme of topic consultation, user engagement and user-centred research and testing ensures that the information collected reflects priority user needs, reduces respondent burden and our questions and questionnaires are acceptable, easy to understand and complete. We will consult with stakeholders and data users to develop outputs and dissemination products that are accessible, relevant and easy to use, helping maximise the public value of Scotland's Census 2031.
We are aiming for all the outputs from the Census to be accredited official statistics. We have requested an assessment for Scotland’s Census from OSR in a letter in August 2026. OSR have set out the principles that they will follow in assessing Census statistics across the UK. We will communicate transparently on the quality and status of all our outputs.
Engagement and feedback
An extensive range of engagement will continue throughout the Census development cycle. The topic consultation completed in 2026 was an important milestone in understanding user needs. As plans develop, NRS will continue to engage with data users, local authorities, public bodies, academics, businesses, community organisations and other stakeholders on questionnaire design, outputs, dissemination and statistical requirements. Opportunities to participate in research and engagement activities will be publicised through the Scotland's Census website and stakeholder newsletter.
We welcome feedback on plans for Scotland's Census 2031. Information on consultation, engagement activities and opportunities to get involved will be published on the Scotland's Census website. Stakeholders can also contact the Census team through the contact details provided on the website.
Next steps
This work programme sets out our priorities and planned activity for 2026/27. We will publish our next annual statistical work programme in autumn 2027, providing an update on progress and setting out priorities and planned developments for the following year.
As part of our commitment to transparency and user engagement, we will also provide updates on the outcome of the current publication review and any resulting decisions on our dedicated Call for Feedback webpage. This will include a summary of the feedback received, our final decisions, and any subsequent changes to NRS statistical publications.
Through our annual work programme and ongoing engagement with users, we will continue to review our statistical portfolio to ensure it remains relevant, sustainable and focused on delivering the greatest public value.
