Cookies on ons.gov.uk

Cookies that measure website use

We use Google Analytics and Hotjar to measure how you use the website so we can improve it based on user needs. Google Analytics and Hotjar set cookies that store anonymised information about:

• how you got to the site
• the pages you visit on ons.gov.uk and how long you spend on each page
• what you click on while you're visiting the site
• the way in which you interact with a page
• whether you have participated in a Hotjar survey

Regardless of your choice, we do not allow Google or Hotjar to use or share the data about how you use this site.

Cookies that help with our communications

Some of our pages may contain content from other sites, like YouTube, which may set their own cookies. These sites are sometimes called "third party" services. This tells us how many people are seeing the content and whether it’s useful.

In addition, if you share a link to a ons.gov.uk page, the service you share it on may set a cookie. We have no control over cookies set on other websites – you can turn them off, but not through us.

YouTube videos

We use YouTube to show videos on some ons.gov.uk pages. YouTube sets cookies when you visit one of these pages.

Cookies that remember your settings

These cookies do things like remember your preferences and the choices you make, to personalise your experience of using the site.

Strictly necessary cookies

These essential cookies do things like:

• remember the notifications you've seen so we do not show them to you again
• remember your progress through a form (for example, an ONS study)

They always need to be on.

Learn more about cookies on ons.gov.uk