Housing, income, level of education: In the current census – also known as a census – the living conditions of people are randomly determined. The major project got off to a rocky start in MV. How is it going?
Schwerin (dpa / mv) – After an initial stumbling block, Germany’s largest statistical survey, the 2022 census, is now making good progress in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. For the building census, 96 percent of all owners of houses and apartments have now fulfilled their obligation to answer, said Henry Lewerentz from the state’s statistical office of the German Press Agency. “That’s quite good.” Almost three quarters of the people reported online, which saves the officials a lot of work. In the last census of buildings in 2011, only a third used the option of reporting via the Internet.
In early May, more than 400,000 building and home census letters were sent to owners and managers in the Northeast, asking them to submit the data by May 31. Among other things, the year of construction, the type of heating and the living space of the houses and apartments were queried. Information on the net cold rent and reasons for a vacancy were also requested. More than a third had missed the deadline. They received reminders. Those who do not comply with their obligation to provide information face a fine.
The general census, for which interviews have been conducted in a good 74,000 households in the country on the living conditions of people since May, is now making good progress, said Lewerentz. The interrogators are on the home straight. Initially, the office had problems finding enough interviewers, especially in rural areas. Around 2000 volunteers were needed for this. The starting problems were solved, it said.
The census – formerly the census – collects a large amount of data, on the basis of which decisions are later made at federal, state and local level. According to the information provided, the 2022 census will determine eleven years after the previous one how many people live in Germany, how they live and work. People are randomly interviewed.