A census has been conducted in England and Wales every ten years since 1801. The next one takes place on 27 March 2011. More than 25 million households will be getting a questionnaire in the post and for the first time will have a choice to complete online or on paper. Images relating to this important public event can be found here. Content includes public services, census history, 2009 Census Rehearsal and entries to the 2011 Census Then and Now photo competition. Copyright for these images is owned by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Look out for more photostreams and competitions over the next few months.

For more about the 2011 Census for England and Wales, visit www.census.gov.uk