Census 2022

• The census serves as an important basis for planning and decision-making in politics, administration and business. Infrastructure measures, such as the construction of schools and daycare centers, can be better planned on the basis of the census. Last but not least, the census provides important data for science and is also used as a data basis for many official statistics. The census is based on EU Regulation (EC) No. 763/2008, which requires all EU member states to conduct a census every ten years, at the beginning of each decade.

• First and foremost, civil registers are considered the source of the data. To improve the quality of the survey, a household survey is conducted on a sample basis.

The 2022 census will be carried out by the statistical offices of the federal states. In the preparatory phase, the federal and state statistical offices work together. They prepare the survey, coordinate uniform and timely implementation and ensure compliance with quality standards. The Federal Statistical Office is responsible for developing the necessary technical applications. The statistical offices of the federal states are responsible for conducting the surveys in their respective federal states. They independently collect the data for the building and housing census and organize the establishment of survey offices in the municipalities. Their main task is to recruit survey officers and coordinate the survey on site. Finally, the data collected are processed centrally by the Federal Statistical Office.

On ID card with seal in conjunction with ID card/passport.

• A so-called register-based procedure is used in the 2022 census. A random sample was drawn from the data already available in the administrative registers. This comprises around 10% of the population. Nationwide, around 10.2 million people will therefore be surveyed as part of the household survey. In Lower Saxony, this figure will be around 800,000 people. The City of Wolfsburg has no influence on this and receives these addresses from the Lower Saxony State Office for Statistics.

• For the sampling, the Federal Statistical Office used a mathematical-statistical random procedure to draw addresses at which all people living there would be surveyed. The methodological basis for this was developed in a scientific sampling research project. In the household survey, entire addresses are always drawn at random and then all the residents living there. It may happen that no one in a circle of ten acquaintances takes part in the household survey - but perhaps everyone is in the sample.

In accordance with Section 23 of the Censuses Act 2022, citizens who are surveyed as part of the random sample are obliged to provide information. Accordingly, all persons of legal age and minors who run their own household are obliged to provide information. For persons who cannot provide information independently (e.g. children, people with disabilities, etc.), the information must be provided by proxy. In case of refusal to provide information, the provision of information can be enforced by imposing a penalty payment. The statutory obligation to provide information remains unchanged.

The census results form the basis for numerous statistics, projections and planning. For this reason, it is important that the results are reliable. The obligation to provide information (Sections 23 to 26 of the Census Act) is necessary to ensure that the required quality of the census results can be achieved through sufficient response.

The surveys will take place between May 16 and July 31 of this year. The survey is related to the cut-off date of May 15, regardless of when you are surveyed.

Your data will be entered into the specified system by the Wolfsburg survey office. No other office of the City of Wolfsburg receives the data. The census data is subject to statistical secrecy in accordance with Section 16 of the Federal Statistics Act. A special high-security environment has been set up to protect the census data. The data do not leave this high-security environment. The employees of the City of Wolfsburg and the survey officers are bound to statistical secrecy and thus also to the protection of the names and addresses of persons surveyed. Violation of this obligation may result in severe fines or imprisonment.

The GWZ is conducted by the Lower Saxony State Office for Statistics. Owners, administrators and other persons authorized to dispose of or use all buildings with residential space or apartments are surveyed.

Yes, in-person interviews will be conducted during the 2022 Census in accordance with applicable infection control requirements. On-site interviews are short, low-contact, and are to be completed at or outside the door.

Survey officers are equipped with FFP2 masks and disinfectants.

The 2022 Census has two objectives. Objective 1, the survey to determine existence, is carried out by the survey officer. Objective 2 is completed by the citizens themselves, either online or in paper form.

• Objective 1: existence determination: quality assurance of the official population count by detecting over- and undercounting and thus identifying dead bodies and missing items in the data stock.

• Objective 2: additional characteristics that are not or not sufficiently reliably contained in the population registers.

• Persons in the sample are obliged to provide both types of information.

In addition to German, the online questionnaire is available in 14 other languages (Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, English, French, Greek, Italian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish). There are translation aids for the budget sheet. These will be provided by your results office if needed.

You can reach the local Census 2022 survey office by phone at 05361 28-5081. The contact information can also be found on the initial notification and IDEV letter.