Statisticians from Georgia study population census organisation in Estonia
According to Statistics Estonia, starting from today, 13 December, until Friday, employees of the National Statistics Office of Georgia get acquainted with Estonia’s experience in organising population censuses and with preparation works for the 2011 Population and Housing Census.
During a week-long study trip scheduled for 13–17 December, the delegation of officials from the National Statistics Office of Georgia will be provided with an overview of Estonia’s experience in organising population censuses and of the preparation works and methodology regarding the 2011 Population and Housing Census (PHC 2011).
“Georgia has started preparations for the 2013 Population and Housing Census. We are going to give the statisticians of Georgia a thorough overview of the methodological and technical organisation of the Population and Housing Census that is going to take place in Estonia next year,” said the PHC 2011 Project Manager Ms Diana Beltadze. “By now, the PHC 2011 Pilot Census conducted at the beginning of 2010 has already become a history. From the Pilot Census, we have drawn several conclusions to be taken into account at the Census scheduled for the end of the next year. For example, we are confirmed now that lots of people are ready to fill out the Population Census questionnaire themselves via the Internet,” explained Beltadze. “There are only about ten countries in the world where such an e-census possibility has been created.”
Ms Beltadze added that the statisticians of Georgia will also learn about the possibilities of using state registers at the Population Census, information systems set up for conducting PHC 2011, the use of Estonian address details system and geoinformatics during the Census. Besides, Estonia’s experience in the quality assurance of the data collected during the Census will also be shared.
In Georgia, the last Population Census was held in 2002, the next one is planned for 2013.
In Estonia, the next Population and Housing Census is going to take place from 31 December 2011 until the end of March 2012, using a combined method, which means that people can fill out the Census questionnaire over the Internet, and those, who do not use the e-Census option, will be interviewed by the enumerator at home.
In 2011 the Population Census will be conducted for the eleventh time in the territory of Estonia. Previous censuses were carried out in 1881, 1897, 1922, 1934, 1941, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989 and 2000. In 2010 and 2011 Population and Housing Censuses will be held in the majority of countries all over the world.