1921 Census of England & Wales Now Available on Ancestry

Ancestry has announced that the 1921 Census of England and Wales is now available on its platform. In addition to its existing 60 billion records, the 1921 Census offers a snapshot into what life was like for almost 38 million people who were living in England and Wales at the time, and is the last census from the first half of the 20th century available to family historians as the 1931 Census was taken but destroyed in WWII.

Adding the 1921 Census into Ancestry’s family history offering is a huge boost for history enthusiasts in 2025. Opening the door for comparisons to take place between the 1911, 1921 and 1939 records –  taking a look at our ancestors’ lives across both World Wars, while shining a light on lessons and heroes to learn from.  

Simon Pearce, Family History Expert at Ancestry says: “The 1921 Census of England and Wales provides us with a fascinating insight into the lives of our ancestors in the years after WWI. We hope the addition of this collection to the Ancestry platform will help users discover rich details about the lives of their ancestors at the time of the census, including where they were living, where they were born, and their line of work. It’s exciting to think where these clues could take you and what you might learn along the way.”

With the next surviving census (1951) not set to be released until 2051 – Ancestry provides an opportunity to draw comparisons from the past of our ancestors to our present.

What is the 1921 Census?

A census is usually conducted every 10 years to count the population of a country, and gives a detailed picture of the households at that moment in time – from their names and ages to their marital status and occupation.

The 1921 Census contains information on nearly 38 million people who were living in England and Wales at the time, and is the last census from the first half of the 20th century.

Getting started on Ancestry

Public libraries, Archive record offices and a number of museums in Wales, and the National Library of Wales provide free access to Ancestry Library Edition to help you with your family history research. Many library, archive and museum services offer training and support for users wishing to start searching their family history. With over 443,916 searches taking place in 22,752 sessions on Ancestry Library across Wales in 2024, the resource is ever-popular with those interested to find out more about their ancestors.

Ancestry Library includes millions of primary and secondary sources – as well as the census, the resource can provide family trees, vital records, military & immigration records, land records, wills, newspapers and more. Find details about where your ancestors were living, who they were living with, and what their occupation and marital status was – it all starts with a name!

Life in 1921

The 1921 England and Wales Census was taken after WWI, when hundreds of thousands of men had been lost. As a result, there were a high number of widowed women in this census – and it showed that overall, there were 1.7 million more women than men living in England and Wales at the time of the census.

This census was the first to show name of your employer and address or location of work. During WWI, millions of women had taken on roles that had been traditionally reserved for men. The census shows that many women continued this work post-war, seeking economic freedom or supporting a household after the loss of a husband.

The 1920s was a period of radical change. While times were still hard for many families after World War I, it was also an incredible era for fashion, art, and culture.

Did your ancestors move from England and Wales after 1921? In 1922, The Empire Settlement Act lead to more than 200,000 people settling in Australia and 165,000 in Canada. Was your ancestor one of them? The 1921 Census can show you what their life was like in England or Wales before they decided to migrate.

Did anyone in your family tree move to Australia? Tracing their experience from 1921 in England and Wales to passenger lists and other records in Australia can help you make amazing discoveries about how their life changed.

Perhaps your ancestors decided to move to Canada? The 1931 Canadian Census is also available to explore on Ancestry, and can help you piece together how life may have changed for your family during the decade between records.

Read Ancestry’s latest articles about life in 1921 and much more on the Ancestry Blog.

For information on how to access Ancestry, please phone, e-mail or visit your local library in person or visit the Libraries Wales website for your library’s contact details

Main photograph: Tom Hayden at shop in New Road 1920 ; Michael Hayden’s collection (Holywell and district). People’s Collection Wales.