Statistics Estonia starts preparations for the 2020 register-based Population Census

“Statistics Estonia's goal is to use the data of administrative registers to the greatest extent possible, and a register-based Census is a considerable step in that direction,” commented the Director General of Statistics Estonia, Mr Priit Potisepp. Register-based Census means that most of the required data are collected from administrative registers. “Thus, the Census beginning at the end of next year will be the last where the entire population is interviewed for the purpose of collecting data. However, we have already established the e-census option where people can fill out the questionnaire via the Internet,” spoke Potisepp.

According to the Head of Methodology Department at Statistics Estonia, Ms Kaja Sõstra, within the framework of the REGREL project a new methodology of how to apply more registers in the future compared to the 2011 Population and Housing Census is under development. “The project is aimed at finding a method of how to retrieve as much information required for the Census as possible from the databases of administrative registers. For 2020 we envisage a combined Census where, in addition to data collected from registers, a part of population is interviewed to get information that is not available in the registers. This way, conclusions can be drawn with respect to the entire population,” explained Sõstra.

The first register-based Population and Housing Census is scheduled to take place either in 2020 or 2021. It will be preceded by pilot censuses in 2014 and 2017. “Transition to a register-based Census is a lengthy process. In Scandinavian countries, where it is used, transition thereof took decades,” illustrated Kaja Sõstra.

In the development of methodology for register-based Population and Housing Census, Statistics Estonia cooperates with the Estonian Institute for Population Studies of Tallinn University and AS Ernst & Young.

In 2010/2011, the majority of countries in the world organise population and housing censuses. These are mostly conducted as traditional face-to-face interviews. However, register-based censuses are organised in five European countries: Austria, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. In Europe, combined Census, where registers and partial interviewing are used, is conducted in Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland and Switzerland.

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.

A seminar introducing the REGREL methodology project is held on 3 December 2010 from 10:00 to 16:00 at Tallinn University (5 Uus-Sadama St, first floor, Tallinn hall).

For additional information about the seminar please visit http://bit.ly/gRkNoL.