The House of Assembly gave the green light for the Bermuda Census to start next May.

Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, said the Statistics (Census of Population and Housing) Order 2025, will set the island’s first census since 2016 to run from May 21, 2026 to March 31, 2027.

He said: “The information collected during the census is of paramount importance to the development of social and economic policy.

“It is for this reason that all residents are required to provide census information to a census officer.”

Mr Hayward said that under the order, census day would be May 20, 2026, with census responders requested to provide information about their situation on that date.

He said the census will cover information including sex, age, religion, birth, immigration, Bermuda status, health, marital status, fertility, education, economic activity, income, household members and visitors, dwelling characteristics and emigration.

Mr Hayward added that the coming census will also include new questions about language, living arrangements and household characteristics.

He said: “Language data will provide a better understanding of Bermuda’s linguistic diversity.

“The information collected about living arrangements will provide details about type, duration and reason for living situations of household members.

“This will provide benchmark data on the population’s experiences with homelessness, insecure housing and inadequate housing.

“The household characteristics topic will collect information on the number of mobile devices, the ability to afford an unexpected expense and financial assistance.

“These questions help us to understand access to mobile devices, who is in need and how people are coping.”

Mr Hayward said that the data will be collected through several approaches including telephone interviews, personal interviews and electronic options.

Vance Campbell, the Shadow Minister of Economy and Labour, expressed the One Bermuda Alliance’s support of the order, stating the census was a vital tool for data collection for the Government.

He said: “It is critical that they have that up-to-date information for shaping policy, allocating resources and better understanding what is going on with the population of Bermuda.”

Mr Campbell urged the public to expedite the process by responding fully, quickly and accurately.