The census had originally been planned for March 2021, in line with previous censuses, which are taken on a ten-yearly basis.
Paul Lowe, Registrar General and Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland (NRS), said: ‘The priority and responsibility of NRS is to put in place a census that enables everyone across Scotland to participate, so that information collected can be used to produce the analyses and deliver the benefits required by the people of Scotland.
‘The census is a unique count of every household in Scotland and in the next census, for the first time, the majority of people will be encouraged to complete their questionnaire online. This will require a significant field force and face-to-face engagement in an effort to support digital participation, engage with the public and raise awareness of census across the population.