Press release No. Z 03 of 29 December 2021

• Largest project of official statistics in Germany
• Census provides precise small-area data on the population and on dwellings
• Most of the data come from registers and they are supplemented by surveys

WIESBADEN – The census reference date is 15 May 2022. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports that, as of that day, 10.2 million people in Germany will be asked for information on their education or work situation in a household survey. In addition, all residents of residential establishments and collective living quarters will be covered by the statistical offices of the Federation and the Länder. All owners or managers of residential property will provide information on their dwellings and residential buildings (roughly 23 million).

The census determines how many people live in Germany and how they live and work. Precise population and dwelling data will result from the census. They serve as a reliable basis for planning decision-making at the federal, Land and municipality levels.

The census in Germany is a register-based population census supplemented by sample surveys and combined with a census of buildings and housing. This means that data are mainly derived from administrative registers. The large majority of the population are not surveyed.

Online questionnaire enables easy participation

Only part of the questions of the 2022 Census will be asked by interviewers in a brief personal interview. Respondents can answer most questions online. “People can complete the questionnaire at home while sitting on the sofa, using a smartphone or tablet”, said the President of the Federal Statistical Office, Dr. Georg Thiel. “This reduces the burden not only on the respondents themselves but also on the environment. In times of corona, the option of contactless online surveys plays a major role.”

Data protection is top priority

Data protection is top priority for the statistical offices in the 2022 Census. It is based on the requirements of the Federal Statistics Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Data entry and processing will meet the requirements of the Federal Office for Information Security and of IT security. The data collected will definitely not be passed on to authorities outside the system of official statistics. Personal data are needed only for data processing and will be deleted at the earliest possible time.

The 2022 Census in Germany will be part of the census round of the European Union scheduled to take place every ten years since 2011. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the coming census has been postponed from 2021 to 2022. For the census, the statistical offices of the Federation and the Länder collaborate closely. This includes preparing the survey, coordinating a uniform and timely conduct and ensuring that the quality standards are adhered to.

More information on the 2022 Census is available at www.zensus2022.de

Photos for the media relating to the 2022 Census are available on our press page at www.zensus2022.de/DE/presse