The 1921 Census of England and Wales has been made available online through an extensive digitisation project with family history website, Findmypast. It is available for you to access in two ways:
- You can view it online via Findmypast, where unlimited access to the 1921 Census is now available. Find out more here: www.findmypast.co.uk/1921-census.
- Or, for free access, you can visit The National Archives in Southwest London or at our two partner locations: Manchester Central Library on St Peter’s Square in Manchester, and the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. At these locations you will be able to view the Census records via the Findmypast website, but without the charges.
Access at The National Archives
- Access to the 1921 Census online at Findmypast is free on the premises at The National Archives in Kew.
- You can access the Census via the on site computers, on site tablet devices or your own device (e.g. smartphone) while you are connected to the Wi-Fi in the dedicated 20sPeople zone.
- There is no need to book in advance to use the computers. All of our computers are in publicly accessible areas that do not require a reader’s ticket.
- The original paper census records will not be available. The paper records will be kept secure by The National Archives at our offsite storage facility and readers will be directed to the digital version. This is to ensure the preservation of the paper records for years to come.
- To plan your visit to The National Archives, please check our opening times; for information on how to find us and visitor car park information, please read how to find us.
Access at regional hubs
Access to the 1921 Census online at Findmypast is free at The National Library of Wales and Manchester Central Library. Please visit their websites for information regarding access at these locations:
- National Library of Wales: www.library.wales/
- Manchester Central Library: www.manchester.gov.uk/centrallibrary
We suggest you check before making your journey, as the situation regarding COVID-19 legislation may vary over the next few months.
Find out more
- Read more about what’s interesting about the 1921 Census here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20s-people/the-1921-census/whats-interesting-about-the-1921-census/
- Listen to our experts discuss what to expect in our podcast: media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/counting-down-to-the-1921-census/
- Start now with your family history research with our research guide: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/census-records/
- Got any questions? Visit to learn more about accessing the 1921 Census from home: Findmypast help
- Find out more about Findmypast membership here: Findmypast Membership Subscriptions