General Population and Housing Census

2011 POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS

The conduct of censuses by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) is provided for in article 10, of Law 3832/2010 “Hellenic Statistical System. Establishment of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) as an Independent Authority.”

The population censuses are intended to determine the basic characteristics which constitute a complete picture of a population. A population census requires extended and complex statistical work, based on meticulous organization throughout its different stages. These stages are carefully designed to ensure the global quality of the project.

The 2011 Population and Housing Census is conducted by ELSTAT, on the basis of the Presidential Decree 168/2008 (ΦΕΚ 223/Α’/04.11.2008), the EU Regulation 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council for the Population and Housing Censuses, and the Joint Ministerial Decision 1524/Γ5-473/14.02.2011 (ΦΕΚ 425/Β’/17.03.2011) and its amendment (to be issued).

The purpose of the 2011 Population and Housing Census it to collect recent statistical data on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population, as well as on the composition of households, their housing conditions and the characteristics of their dwellings.

More specifically, the Population and Housing Census:

  • Collects data that are important for the designing economic and social policy in national, regional and local, as well as European level.

  • Contributes greatly to rational decision-making in both the public and private sectors of the economy.

  • Constitutes a basic instrument for the implementation of academic and other research programs.

  • Constitutes a basic instrument for the settlement of various administrative and legal issues.

  • Contributes to the dissemination of statistical information to society, because the statistical data derived from the Census concern every citizen.

  • Constitutes the basic framework for the implementation of a great number of statistical surveys and works.

  • Contributes to regional development, as it is the only statistical work that produces data at the level of the smallest geographical areas (such as Municipality, Municipal Unit etc., all the way down to the building block), thus constituting a fundamental instrument for regional planning and the corresponding design of regional policies.

The Population Census aims at:

  • enumerating the resident population of the country, namely all the people permanently residing in each level of administrative division of the country (Decentralized Administration, Region, Municipality, etc.),

  • enumerating the ‘de facto’ population of the country, namely the people who were present on the reference day of the Census in each level of administrative division of the country ( Decentralized Administration, Region, Municipality, etc.),

  • enumerating the ‘registered’ population of the country, namely the number of the people registered in the rolls of each Municipality,

  • collecting data on the composition of the households,

  • collecting data on the demographic, social, educational, and economic characteristics of the population.

The Housing Census aims at:

  • recording the number and types of dwellings,

  • collecting data concerning the principal characteristics of the dwellings,

  • enumerating the dwellings according to their tenure status.

The 2011 Population and Housing Census is different from previous ones in the following main areas:

  • It is to be conducted in the course of fifteen (15) days instead of one day. More specifically, the 2011 Population-Housing Census will take place from 10/5/2011 until 24/5/2011, with reference date the 9th of May 2011.

  • The 2011 Census will primarily focus on the enumeration of the permanent population of the Country. This means that inhabitants will be enumerated at the place of their usual residence. Data will, however, also be collected on the ‘registered’ population, as well as on the ‘de facto’ population.

  • Inhabitants need not wait for the enumerator’s visit. In case there is nobody at the residence at the time of this visit, the enumerator will leave a message with his/her contact information so that he/she can be contacted in order to arrange a convenient time for the interview.

  • The selection process for the Heads of Census Sectors and the Enumerators has included submission of an application via Internet and ranking/selection according to a standardized procedure using objective criteria, such as employment/availability status, experience in statistical works, education attainment level, etc.

  • Besides the core questions mandated in EU Regulation 763/2008, the Census questionnaire includes questions of social and environmental importance, such as access to Internet, the volume of waste recycled by households, and the use of alternative sources of energy.

  • The questionnaire is designed in such a way so that it can be read by an Optical Character Reader system, which can significantly expedite the processing of the questionnaires and the production of the final statistical results.

After the Census, a sample survey is going to be conducted with regard to its coverage, aiming at: a) identifying the degree to which dwellings have not been enumerated during the Census or that have been enumerated twice, b) carrying out a quality control with regard to the recording of basic demographic characteristics of the enumerated persons. This survey will last four days (30/5/2011-2/6/2011).

According to EU Regulation 763/2008, ELSTAT is obliged to publish tabulated data 27 months after the last day of the reference year of the Census. Therefore data will be published on the 31st March 2014. The first preliminary results, i.e. basic figures for the permanent population (aggregated and by sex), will be available in June 2011. These data will be available at various administrative levels, down to the level of municipality. A year and a half after the end of the Census, statistical results for the remaining information collected will be disseminated.

All procedures outlining the conduct of the Population-Housing Census (preparatory activities and tasks to be performed after the Census) are laid down in relevant Circulars issued by the President of ELSTAT.

The data collected during the Census are confidential and statistical confidentiality is strictly observed in accordance with article 7 of the Law 3832/2010. ELSTAT takes all necessary measures in order to safeguard the confidentiality of the Census data. All persons who work for the Census (Census Task Force, Head Supervisors, Supervisors, Assistant Supervisors, Heads of Sectors, Enumerators) as well as ELSTAT staff who have access to the personal data of the census questionnaires are legally bound by statistical confidentiality and are obliged to use these data exclusively for statistical purposes. Violation of data confidentiality by any employee of ELSTAT constitutes a disciplinary offence of breach of duty and may be punished with the penalty of final dismissal. In addition, ELSTAT, by its decision, may impose a penalty amounting from ten thousand (10,000) up to two hundred thousand (200,000) Euros (depending on the gravity of the offence) to anyone who violates the confidentiality of data. Census Supervisors are responsible for keeping in a safe place all the filled in Census questionnaires until the completion of their quality control. Right afterwards, the questionnaires are to be packed into parcels and sent by registered mail through the Hellenic Post to ELSTAT premises. There, ELSTAT will take all the necessary safety and security measures concerning the questionnaires and other Census forms, as well as the electronic database that will be created with the Census data.