Press release No. 20 of June 8, 2022

• The 2022 Census basically comprises two surveys
• 10.3 million people are interviewed for the survey of households

• 23 million owners provide information on their residential property for the census of buildings and housing

   

WIESBADEN - Since the middle of May, people in the whole of Germany have been asked to provide information for the 2022 Census. The census determines how many people reside in Germany and how they live and work. The census is mostly based on data from the population registers. The citizens are additionally required to participate in two different surveys.

1. Approximately 10.3 million people will be interviewed for the survey of households. Their addresses were previously selected as part of a random sample. People living in residential establishments will also be interviewed (roughly 300,000). There will be no face-to-face interviews of people living in collective living quarters. They will be counted using data collected from the managers of the relevant facilities (about 60,000 facility managements).
The households selected for the household survey will receive a letter announcing the time and date of the interview. They will first be asked to answer some general questions during a personal interview. Three quarters of the people concerned will be requested to answer further questions about education and employment, preferably using the online questionnaire.

2. Owners, managers and other people authorised to deal with residential buildings and dwellings will be interviewed for the census of buildings and housing. Since there is no register of buildings and dwellings in Germany, no sample survey is conducted, but information is collected on all dwellings and residential buildings.
The people requested to participate in the census of buildings and housing will receive a letter containing the login details for the online questionnaire. Those who cannot answer the questions online will be able to use a paper questionnaire. Depending on the relevant Land, a paper questionnaire will be sent automatically if no information has been received online after a few weeks, or a paper questionnaire can be requested by telephone. The details can be found in the respective letter.

By chance, you may be interviewed twice
It may happen that people in Germany are required to participate in both the survey of households and the census of buildings and housing. Those who own residential property and have been selected for the household sample survey will be interviewed twice for the census. As it is not previously known who was selected for the sample-based household survey, the two census surveys cannot be combined.

Follow-up survey for quality assessment
A small number of the people selected for the household survey (roughly 400,000) will be asked to answer a few questions again. This is to ensure that Germany complies with the quality assessment required by the European Union.

The 2022 Census Act stipulates that people are obliged to provide information in the surveys conducted for the census. All those who have been selected for the census are obliged to participate. The respondents will receive reminders before administrative or coercive fines are imposed. The statistical offices of the Länder can impose an administrative or coercive fine, in most cases a triple-figure fine, only after another reminder has been sent.

Further information on the 2022 Census and pictures for reproduction are provided www.zensus2022.de. There you will also find sample questionnaires of the 2022 Census surveys (in German). If you are interested, we will be pleased to find you interview partners to discuss census issues.

Follow us on www.twitter.com/zensus2022!

For further information: www.zensus2022.de/contact