The official statistics body has made public the submissions it received during a consultation on the next Northern Ireland census. The 140 responses will inform the design of the 2031 population count.

The consultation ran from October 2025 to March 2026 and gathered views on how data from the 2021 census is being used, what topics the 2031 census should cover, and whether alternative data sources could supplement the traditional survey.

Of the 140 responses, 93 came from organisations and 47 from individuals. The largest group of organisational responses was from the charity, community and voluntary sector, which submitted 51. Central government bodies provided 36 responses, and a further 15 came from statutory agencies in health and education. The private sector, local government, and research institutions also contributed.

All responses have been moderated and are now available for public viewing on the agency's website, along with summary tables showing response rates for each question.

The agency is now evaluating the feedback against pre-set criteria. Its findings will be used to develop recommendations for the census content. A full report on the consultation outcomes is expected later in 2026.

Final decisions on what the 2031 census will include must be approved by the Northern Ireland Assembly.