How many people live in the country? How do they live and work? This year, statisticians want to bring the data up to date with a census. They are satisfied with the participation of the citizens.
Halle (dpa/sa) – The State Statistical Office of Saxony-Anhalt has drawn a positive balance of the surveys as part of the 2022 census. The authorities said the surveys had not yet been completed. “So far, however, there has been a high level of willingness to provide information.” Participation in the 2011 household survey was very good at 99 percent. The response rate for the building and apartment census in the same year was 98 percent. “Current survey data suggest comparable response rates for the 2022 census.”
According to the information, about twelve percent of all Saxony-Anhalt residents were personally interviewed at a total of almost 69,000 addresses in Saxony-Anhalt. The interviews lasted about 5 to 10 minutes each. In addition, around 1,500 facility managers from community accommodation such as old people’s and nursing homes provided information about residents.
Around 70 percent of those surveyed also received a letter with access data for the online questionnaire with further questions. This included, for example, their educational qualifications, employment and occupation. Around 65 percent of the citizens surveyed had submitted their report online, it said.
The census of buildings and dwellings runs parallel to the household survey. The State Statistical Office surveyed around 580,000 owners and administrations. About 74 percent of all reports were submitted via online questionnaires, the remaining reports via paper questionnaires or by telephone via the census hotline. “The return rates of both surveys are a satisfactory result,” the statisticians summed up.
There is an obligation to provide information in the surveys. Because there were defaulters in the building and apartment census, around 39,000 dunning notices were sent after the initial and reminder dispatch, it said. “The majority of the defaulters have now complied with the information obligation as part of the building and apartment census,” said a spokeswoman. Penalties have not yet been imposed.
The State Statistical Office does not have any information on the dunning procedure in the household survey, because the municipal survey offices are responsible for this. In the majority of cases, however, the necessary data was collected during the personal interview, so that no dunning procedure had to be initiated. Reliable figures are important for many federal, state and local decisions. They are the basis for planning apartments, transport networks and educational institutions. All EU member states are obliged to collect population data. The 2011 census counted 36,000 fewer people than were reported.
The first final results from the current census will be published in November 2023. Further evaluations are then planned.