Ene-Margit Tiit: Population Census enables to estimate the size of emigration
“Emigration is a serious population problem in Estonia, but the complete data on it are missing, as not all the people who left Estonia have registered their departure officially. That is the reason why the current Population Census questionnaire has been supplemented by the question asking whether any former household member or a close relative has permanently settled down in a foreign country since the 2000 Population Census,” said Professor Ene-Margit Tiit, methodological leader of the 2011 Population and Housing Census (PHC 2011). “To find out the real population number is possible only with the help of additional information about emigration, but all the data for emigrants are not available as some of them have no close relatives left in Estonia.”
According to Professor Ene-Margit Tiit, during the last decade the changes in the population of Estonia have been so large, that, in order to explain them, it is inevitable to update the Census questionnaire as well as the possibilities to participate in the Census. “Information relating to the persons having departed to foreign countries, which has been received from different sources, will be aggregated to a unified list, which will be identified by the ID-code that serves as a basis for estimating the number of persons having left for abroad,” explained Prof. Ene-Margit Tiit.
Prof. Ene-Margit Tiit remarked that with regard to studying emigration, besides adding questions about emigration to Census questionnaire, an important innovation is also e-Census. “The person staying temporarily abroad but whose permanent place of residence is in Estonia, has a possibility to enumerate himself/herself on the Internet. If the person’s permanent place of residence is not in Estonia, i.e. he/she is not subject to enumeration, the procedure will be ended automatically, but the person will be added to the list of persons having departed to foreign countries.”
In 2010 and 2011 Population and Housing Censuses will be held in the majority of countries all over the world. In Estonia, the Population and Housing Census will be carried out from 31 December this year until 31 March next year.
The electronic Population and Housing Census or e-Census, where the permanent residents of Estonia can fill out questionnaires on the Internet, will take place during the first month (31.12.2011–31.01.2012). Those who do not participate in the e-Census will be visited by enumerators in the period 16.02–31.03.2012.
For further information: /uudised/population-census