Census 2021: How many veterans are living in Dacorum?
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Around 3% of people living in Dacorum are veterans of the UK armed forces, the first figures of their kind reveal.
A snapshot of England and Wales taken in March last year has already given us a much better picture of the make-up of our population.
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Hide AdFor the first time in 2021, census respondents were asked whether they had previously served in the UK armed forces in a bid to improve the treatment of veterans across the two nations through better data.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show 3,948 people in Dacorum said they were a veteran at the time of the census. Of them, 2,898 had served in the regular UK armed forces and 896 as a reserve.
National statistician Sir Ian Diamond said: “For the first time our data is able to show the vast scale of our armed forces community, which is vital information to help direct support and services where they are needed most.
“Perhaps unsurprisingly a large proportion of our veterans live or are located near military establishments, suggesting they tend to stay in the same areas after they have left service.”
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Hide AdAcross England and Wales, 1.9 million people (3.8%) said they had previously served in the regular armed forces, reserve forces, or both, at the time of the census.
Around 37,000 (2%) of them lived in communal establishments – which can include student halls of residence, an armed forces base, hospital or care home – while the vast majority lived in households.
In Dacorum, 133 veterans ( 3%) were in communal establishments last year, and 3,815 (97%) were in households.
The ONS and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs also launched a new dedicated survey to collect feedback from veterans across the UK.
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Hide AdSir Ian added: “Responses to the survey will help us better understand the experiences, needs and wellbeing of our veteran community and to guide future action."
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer said the Government is committed to making the UK "the best place in the world for all our veterans".
Meanwhile, Charles Byrne, director general of the Royal British Legion, said the data will "transform" understanding of the veteran population.