What is the census? Fact check for the 2022 Census
Facts about the 2022 Census
The term “disinformation” refers to false or misleading information that is spread with the intention of manipulating or deceiving the general public. The 2022 Census is also affected by this problem.
The 2011 Census was the largest official statistics project in Germany – and the 2022 Census is about to follow suit. Many citizens will be involved in the census and obliged to provide information. When it comes to major official statistics projects like this, some information may be misunderstood or even deliberately misrepresented. In addition to classic print and online media, false information may be shared on social media or in chat groups.
| Here are the facts about the 2022 Census! | |
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| False information | Reality |
| The interviewers will ask respondents to: - Provide their social security card / number - Present their ID card or passport - Provide a signature - Give money - Disclose their personal usernames or passwords - Share their bank, credit card or account details - Provide an email address - Indicate their planned holidays - Participate in a prize draw or competition - Accept a reward (e.g. gifts or trips) | None of these points will be requested by the interviewers involved in the 2022 Census. If this does happen, however, please contact your local police station immediately and inform your local town or district council, your survey office or the statistical office in your federal state. During the census, you will be asked questions about yourself, your level of education or training and your employment status. You will be able to view the questionnaires on the official census website (www.zensus2022.de) a few weeks before the surveys begin. The interviewers involved in the census are known as “survey officers” (Erhebungsbeauftragte) and will carry the appropriate ID, which is valid when presented with an official form of photo ID. |
| False information | Reality |
| Respondents will be contacted by email about the 2022 Census or instructed to access the survey via a link. | The responsible survey offices and regional statistical offices will first contact respondents by post. Respondents will never be contacted by email without having received a letter in the post, nor will they be instructed to access the online survey via an email link. If you do receive emails with such links, they will be fakes. Do not click on such links! In such cases, please immediately inform your local survey office or the police. The correct and only way to access the online survey for the 2022 Census is via the official website: www.zensus2022.de. |
| False information | Richtig ist |
| All the data is already available in registers; the census offers no added value – it is a waste of time and money. | Not all the data for the 2022 Census is readily available in registers. The existing registers will be evaluated as comprehensively as possible to minimise the strain on the population. The Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder will only request data from citizens in cases where the existing registers of the public administration hold insufficient information or no information at all. This is the case, for example, with information relating to people’s employment and level of education. Although residents are recorded in population registers, some registers are incomplete and outdated. In some cases, for example, registers contain people who are now living at a different address (over-coverage) or they do not include residents who are living at a certain address (under-coverage). We are therefore currently unable to make a precise population count solely on the basis of the population registers. In order to ascertain the amount of over-coverage and under-coverage and include it in the population figures, a small part of the population has to be surveyed. In addition, a census of buildings and housing will be carried out because there is no uniform administrative register that records the number of apartments and buildings in Germany. |
| False information | Reality |
| Respondents have to provide information about their income. | No information about income will be collected during the 2022 census. The 2022 census will contain questions about yourself, your level of education or training and your employment status. We will also ask for information on buildings and apartments. You will be able to view the questionnaires on the official census website (www.zensus2022.de) a few weeks before the surveys begin. |
| False information | Reality |
| The 2022 Census is being conducted to record the vaccination status of the population. | You will not be asked about your vaccination status during the 2022 Census. During the census, you will be asked questions about yourself, your level of education or training and your employment status. We will also ask for information on buildings and apartments. You will be able to view the questionnaires on the official census website (www.zensus2022.de) a few weeks before the surveys begin. |
| False information | Reality |
| The data collected during the 2022 Census is not adequately protected against hacking attacks or data breaches. | The data collected during the 2022 Census will be optimally protected against hacking attacks and data breaches. The technical and organisational measures taken to protect data are being regularly evaluated and meet the latest technical security standards. The entire project is being overseen by the commissioners for data protection and information security within the federal and state governments and is based on the standards of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Every data transfer will be subject to the highest security requirements. Your data will be optimally protected to prevent unauthorised third parties from reading, copying, modifying or deleting it. |
| False information | Reality |
| The census violates data protection law, particularly the GDPR and the fundamental right to informational self-determination. | The 2022 Census will be conducted in compliance with the data protection regulations and the fundamental right to informational self-determination. The right to informational self-determination means the right to “determine how one’s own personal data is to be disclosed and used” (Federal Constitutional Court, Judgement of the First Senate of 15 December 1983, 1 BvR 209/83, para. 1-215). This right can be restricted by law if there is a general overriding interest in the processing of personal data. This is the case with the census because the data on the population and people’s housing situation and employment status will form the basis for many important decisions in politics, business and society. Nevertheless, there are special precautions in place to protect the right to informational self-determination, namely the principle of statistical confidentiality, the principle of data separation and the “prohibition on feedback”. In addition, all the necessary technical and organisational measures are being taken to ensure data protection and information security. The necessary technical and organisational measures have been systematically developed in line with the latest technology according to the specifications of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) such as the BSI Standards, the IT-Grundschutz Compendium and the BSI’s minimum standards. Data protection law will be implemented in line with the requirements stipulated in the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, data subjects will be able to assert their rights under Art. 15 et seq. GDPR. |
| False information | Reality |
| Personal details will be linked to the other information collected during the survey and stored permanently. As a result, the concept of the “transparent citizen” will become a reality. | During the census, you will be asked to provide personal information such as your name and address for organisational purposes (e.g. to exclude any duplicates from the census results) and this will be deleted at the earliest possible opportunity. In other words, this data will not be stored permanently or used for any other purposes, nor will it be shared with third parties. The census results will be evaluated exclusively on the basis of anonymised data. |
| False information | Reality |
| The data collected will form the basis for an “EU asset register” for the planned expropriation of property to finance the government spending resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. | During the 2022 Census, comprehensive information will be collected on all buildings and apartments in Germany. The aim is to determine the number of buildings and apartments and their features. The names of homeowners will only be required temporarily for organisational purposes (e.g. to send out the survey documents). This information will not be shared with third parties or used for any other purposes and will be deleted at the earliest possible opportunity once the survey has been completed. |
| False information | Reality |
| Anyone who has not properly registered their (new) address will receive a fine after completing the survey. | The personal data collected during the census (e.g. names and addresses) will be deleted at the earliest possible opportunity. In other words, this data will not be stored permanently or used for any other purposes. The disclosure of such information to other bodies (e.g. registration offices or the police) is prohibited by law. The census results will be evaluated exclusively on the basis of anonymised data. |
| False information | Reality |
| Based on the information provided on the type of heating and apartment features during the census of buildings and housing, homeowners and landlords will be obliged to carry out renovations and change their energy providers. | During the census, you will be asked to provide personal information such as your name and address exclusively for organisational purposes (e.g. to send out the survey documents) and this will be deleted again at the earliest possible opportunity. In other words, this data will not be stored permanently or used for any other purposes, nor will it be shared with other authorities. The census results will be evaluated exclusively on the basis of anonymised data. In addition, the information on individuals collected during the 2022 Census must not be passed on to any other administrative bodies. In other words, your data will not be disclosed to any other authorities because this is legally inadmissible. |
| False information | Reality |
| The information on home ownership provided during the census of buildings and housing will be disclosed to the tax office to track down tax evaders. | During the 2022 Census, comprehensive information will be collected on all buildings and apartments in Germany. The names of homeowners will only be required for organisational purposes (e.g. to send out the survey documents) and will be deleted again at the earliest possible opportunity once the survey has been completed. This information will not be shared with third parties or used for any other purposes. The disclosure of such information to third parties (e.g. the tax office) is prohibited by law. |
| False information | Reality |
| Anyone can pretend to be an interviewer for the census, because respondents won’t be able to check whether the person is an official survey officer. | The census interviewers will be able to prove their authorisation with an official “ID card for survey officers” which will be issued by their survey office and will only be valid when presented with an official form of photo ID. The interviewers will also announce your scheduled appointment in writing beforehand. |
| False information | Reality |
| The interviewers will turn up unannounced. | The interviewers will always announce your scheduled appointment in writing beforehand. Their letter will include the scheduled date and a specific time slot. In case of doubt, you can contact your local survey office. The interviewers will always carry an official “ID card for survey officers” and an official form of photo ID. |
| False information | Reality |
| Respondents will have to let interviewers into their home. | Respondents are not obliged to let interviewers into their home. Respondents can either conduct the longer interview with the survey officer at the door or simply complete the online survey on their own. If you wish to complete the online survey, the interview will provide you with personal log-in details. |
| False information | Reality |
| The interviewers will first call respondents on their landline or mobile phone. | The interviewers involved in the 2022 Census will always announce your appointment by post and will never establish initial contact by phone. If respondents have contacted their interviewer by calling the number indicated on the announcement card, the interviewer will be allowed to call them back (e.g. to arrange an appointment). In exceptional cases or if the coronavirus situation becomes worse, interviewers will also be able to conduct telephone surveys. In such cases, however, your scheduled appointment will still be announced in writing beforehand and you will be asked to call back the interviewer. |
| False information | Reality |
| The statistical offices do not provide any contact details for questions and information about the census. | If you have any questions or would like to receive more information about the census, please do not hesitate to contact your local survey office or the official census information services. You can always get in touch with the Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Länder via the official census website. You can get immediate answers to many of your questions using the interactive contact form. |
| False information | Reality |
| During the census, data will be collected on the vacancy rate with the aim of housing refugees and asylum seekers in vacant apartments and residential buildings. | Data will be collected on the vacancy rate during the 2022 Census, as this will form an important basis for sensible housing policy measures. The vacancy rate will not be recorded with the aim of housing refugees and asylum seekers. The addresses will only be used to conduct the survey and will not be passed on to any bodies or authorities outside of official statistics. The anonymised data on housing and vacant properties will not allow any conclusions to be drawn about specific apartments. |
| False information | Reality |
| Political or social groups might use the census to promote their opinions. | Interviewers in the 2022 Census are carefully selected and trained. They commit themselves to reliability and confidentiality. Their only task is to conduct the interviews and to provide census information material. |
If you have any further questions about the census, please contact us.