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Blog posts : Let’s Count! competition winners reveal the Census 2021 population figure for England and Wales

Pupils hold up Census 2021 population numbers for England and Wales

The first results from Census 2021 are here!

On Tuesday 28 June 2022, we published the estimates of the number of people and households in England and Wales.

These figures show the number of people by sex and age at local authority level, rounded to the nearest 100.

We published commentary and analysis alongside the data to support and explain them. This included new and exciting ways to interact with census data, such as interactive “scrollytelling” articles.

But we also needed some help to announce these new population estimates.

Pupils from St Alban's Primary School in Havant hold up the numbers 59,597,300 to reveal the Census 2021 population of England and Wales.

Announcing the Census 2021 population figure for England and Wales

Before Census 2021, we ran an education programme called Let’s Count!, which taught children all about the census, from collecting to publishing the results.

After huge success in 2021, we extended the award-winning Let’s Count! Programme.

Let’s Count! 2021 included a competition for children to count objects around their school or community and create a wall display showing the results.

The prize for the winning schools included the chance to reveal the Census 2021 population figures for England and Wales.

And that’s exactly what they did on 28 June.

This video shows you what happened on the day at St Alban's C of E Primary School in Havant and Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tonyrefail in Porth.

Transcript of The first population estimate for England and Wales video.

You can find more information about our release plans and Census 2021 products on the census page (opens in a new tab)  of the ONS website.