ABSTRACT
The requirements for the EU’s population and housing censuses are currently undergoing fundamental changes. Users are increasingly requesting data more frequently, more timely as well as in more detailed regional breakdowns. At the same time, Germany aims to increase the use of administrative data in order to reduce the cost of data collection as well as the burden on citizens related to surveys. In response to these developments, the Federal Statistical Office of Germany is currently preparing a transition of its census model. For the current census 2022, Germany continues to apply a combined census model that uses administrative data, but also requires extensive surveys. For future census rounds from 2031 onwards, a fully register-based census is strived for that aims at providing census data in the areas of population, housing and dwellings, households and families, labour market, and educational attainment without conducting additional surveys. In contrast to the combined census model, the register-based census model aims to deliver data more frequently and in more detailed regional breakdowns while also reducing the burden on citizens and the cost of data collection. This contribution, against the background of the trajectories of the census in Germany, discusses the motivation for the methodological changes, presents the requirements and outlines prerequisites and implementation options for a future census model. In particular, questions related to quality assurance, data provision and possibilities of linking data from different registers are discussed as selected examples.
