FAQ for the 2011 Census

When is the Census? How do I fill it in?

The Census is held once every ten years. In the UK you will be sent Census forms in March 2011 for completion ideally on 27th March. Everyone should complete the Census, since Government policy and funding allocation is greatly influenced by the data. Census returns are anonymous for 100 years and the data is not passed on to tax or immigration or other government departments, so it is safe to complete the Census.

I am not sure if I qualify as a Buddhist. I do meditate and respect its teachings but was christened as a child.

If you practice Buddhism in any way: through meditation, mindfulness practice, or chanting,  or enjoy Buddhist books and teachings, then it is perfectly appropriate to tick the Buddhist box. Many of those who tick the boxes for the other faiths do not practice at all, but simply fall in line with family tradition or habit. So you may actually be more genuine in your choice of Buddhism than many of those who ticked boxes for other faiths.

I don’t think that Buddhism is a religion – it is a philosophy or way of life – shouldn’t I just refuse to answer it at all?

Well, you at liberty to do this. However, even though there has always been a debate about just what a religion is, and Buddhism does not have a creator god, it is recognised as one of the six major religions in the UK. This gives it an important moderating influence on the overall religious climate of the UK. We strongly encourage all who admire, respect and practice Buddhism to tick the Buddhism box.

I don’t agree with this question being on the Census. It is an invasion of privacy. Should I refuse to answer?

Well, see the previous answer. But if you do refuse to answer, your vote will be used as part of those who indicate they are irreligious. And you will lose this last opportunity to promote Buddhism. This will be a great loss, especially as this is likely to be the last Census and the figures may be used to guide policy for at least ten years.

I wrote in ‘Jedi’ last time- should I do this again?

You are of course at liberty to do this. There are also other unusual religions being publicised.  We understand that many people do this as a form of protest at being asked about their beliefs. However, if you genuinely have no respect for any faith, then we would advise you to tick the ‘No Religion’ box, especially as a ‘Jedi’ or any other unusual new religion would be counted as ‘No Religion’ anyway.

However, we find that many who did tick ‘Jedi’ at the last Census, do in fact practice Buddhist meditation or some other aspect of Buddhism. If this is the case for you, then we would strongly advise you to tick ‘Buddhism’. Remember, it is only the six main faiths that are recognised, and increasing support for Buddhism is a very effective protest against traditional religions and the way they behave.

Someone else in my household may fill in the form for me – how do I make sure my choice of Buddhism is recorded for me?

One person fills in part of the census form which relates to the whole household. However, there is also a part of the form that can be filled in by each member of the household which only refers to your information.  The question on religion is on this part of the form so you can fill in this part yourself or ask the person filling in the rest of the form to fill in your information correctly.

Can I tick a different box to the one I ticked in 2001?

Yes! Whatever answer you gave in 2001, you can still tick ‘Buddhism’ in 2011.