Register census

Topics Society and Environment

Topic

There are plans to gradually transform the method used in the census to a register-based procedure. The current approach is no longer suitable to meet the growing needs and requirements of national and European data users. The register census data are to be collected from existing administrative and statistical sources to the extent possible, with automated processes for linking and processing the data. In future, this will allow for more timely and frequent census results and the provision of a more detailed regional breakdown.

First of all, a census must provide precise population figures and demographic information, for instance on age, sex or citizenship. Many policy decisions are made on this data basis. Examples include the financial equalisation among the Länder and the delimitation of constituency boundaries for Bundestag elections. Robust data are indispensable for a knowledge-based democracy. To ensure political and administrative communities can plan for the future based on factual information, it is also important to have reliable census results on the building and housing stock, housing circumstances, living arrangements in households and families, the labour market and education.

The creation of the legal and factual basis for a register census is one of the measures included in the digital policy of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community. The register census benefits from progress made in the modernisation of registers and at the same time formulates requirements for the digitalisation of public administration in Germany.

In its judgment of 19 September 2018, the Federal Constitutional Court cited the principle of proportionality, according to which regular checks have to be made to examine whether census data can be collected using procedures that "interfere less with fundamental rights". This means that increasing use will be made of registers and existing data collections in the future. The legal framework must be broadened to this end.

The once-only principle is the guiding idea. In future, data will only be collected from citizens directly if they are not available from administrative or statistical sources or if their quality or degree of detail is insufficient. In 2031, for example, a new census of buildings and housing will have to be conducted because a register of buildings and dwellings has not yet been set up.

For the purposes of the register census, data from various authorities and registers must be linked in a manner that complies with the law. Highest standards of data protection and information security are factored in right from the start and can be ensured by measures such as strict access limitations and modern encryption techniques.

Press releases

7 May 2021 Act regarding the testing of a register census: major step towards a census without surveys

On 6 May 2021, the Bundestag approved the Federal Government's legislative proposal on testing methods of a register census in the version modified by the Committee on Internal Affairs and Community. Dr. Georg Thiel, President of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), welcomes the decision as a major step towards a census without surveys: “The needs of our data users have fundamentally changed in the last few years. Census results are needed earlier, more frequently and in a more detailed regional breakdown. The register census will allow the new requirements to be met in a low-cost, digital and low-burden way.”

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26 January 2022 Statistical Advisory Committee’s recommendations for the 20th legislative term

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25 October 2018 Statistical Advisory Committee supports digital change in the sphere of statistics

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Further Press Releases

Current news

Work progress

The register census is a joint project of the statistical offices of the Federation and the Länder. The offices cooperate closely with the municipalities and other agencies that keep registers and data. The specialised statistical areas are currently undergoing further methodological development in order to create a modern infrastructure for register-based statistics production.

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Publications

Interview with Dr. Karsten Lummer and Dr. René Söllner about the Register Census Act

The "Future of official statistics" section of the StatistikBrief, issue 1/2024, contains an Interview with Dr. Karsten Lummer and Dr. René Söllner about the Register Census Act (only in German)

Go to StatistikBrief, issue 1/2024 of 28 March 2024

The register census: objectives, requirements and implementation

The requirements on the census of population and housing as well as on population statistics are changing considerably. Users now require more frequent and more timely results as well as results that provide a detailed geographical breakdown. In the foreseeable future, the current census model and the intercensal population updates based on it will not be able to meet these requirements. Therefore, the plan is to switch step-by-step to a modern, purely register-based method, the register census, by 2031. This article describes the objectives and backgrounds, presents the thematic modules of the new system and the requirements to be met by the future census model. It also outlines selected methodological aspects and explains the current implementation status of the future register census.

Extract from the WISTA – Wirtschaft und Statistik journal, issue 4/2022

Authors: René Söllner, Thomas Körner

additional file formats

The education module of the register census

With the transition to a register census, information on the educational attainment and educational participation of the population will be determined completely from administrative and statistical data. There is currently no data basis in Germany with education information on the entire population. The education module of the register census is intended to identify appropriate data sources and develop suitable methods to precisely determine, on the basis of the data available, the educational attainment and educational participation of all people from the age of 15 years living in Germany. The article provides an insight into the initial conceptual considerations regarding the education module of the register census and the challenges in connection with its establishment.

Extract from the WISTA – Wirtschaft und Statistik journal, issue 4/2022

Authors: Eva Grimm, Olga Herzog, Sarah Rheiner

The target vision of the labour market module in the register census

The transition to a register census means determining the information on the labour market participation of the total population only on the basis of registers in future. There currently is no data source in Germany which includes all groups of people with labour market relevance. Various data stocks are therefore required to determine the activity status and the other labour market characteristics to cover all groups of people and their labour market participation.

In this context, the labour market module faces a number of methodological challenges. It is necessary, among other things, to match data from various sources at the level of individuals and develop generally valid and plausible rules for determining the main activity in each case.

Extract from the WISTA – Wirtschaft und Statistik journal, issue 1/2024

Authors: Ricarda Buff, Angelika Ganserer, Kathrin Ramsauer

Considerations regarding a register of buildings and dwellings: creation, maintenance and use

In Germany, there is currently no consistent and nationwide register with information on all buildings and dwellings. This gap is to be closed by the establishment of a register of buildings and dwellings. As an administrative register, it can support federal, Land and municipal authorities in exercising planning and executive functions (in areas such as housing policy, urban development and climate protection). The register of buildings and dwellings is also an important data basis for the register census and will allow the production of more frequent, timely and geocoded census results on buildings, dwellings and households using a purely register-based approach. This paper outlines the current conceptual considerations on the creation and maintenance of the register of buildings and dwellings and in particular discusses the use of existing administrative real estate data (of building, tax and land surveying authorities).

Extract from the WISTA – Wirtschaft und Statistik journal, issue 4/2022

Authors: Anja Krause, Markus Zimmermann, Ingmar Herda

 

Further development of the address register for official statistics

To prepare and produce federal statistics, the German Federal Statistical Office maintains an address register which was initially set up with data from the 2011 Census. For the development of a register census that can largely be conducted without supplementary surveys, the address register will be upgraded to enable broader use by the bodies of official statistics. The data of the roughly 22 million addresses in Germany including geographical coordinates and housing space characteristics will be available in updated form after the upgrading. Administrative and surveying data supplied in future will serve to supplement, maintain and keep a history of the addresses on a regular basis. The article provides an overview of the additional value and setup of the address register. It discusses the methodological challenges and presents its possible future uses for register census and official statistics purposes.

 

Extract from the WISTA – Wirtschaft und Statistik journal, issue 3/2023

 

Authors: Florian Hennig, Franziska Gebhard

Towards a future register census - requirements and prospects

The requirements on the census and on population statistics are changing considerably. Users are now requiring results to be more timely, geocoded and available at shorter intervals. In the medium term, the model of the 2021 Census and the intercensal population updates that are based on it will not be able to meet these emerging requirements. This is why preparations for the post-2021 censuses have already started. This article presents the requirements to be met by a future census model and outlines the prerequisites and implementation options of a future register census.

Extract from the WISTA – Wirtschaft und Statistik journal, special issue on the 2021 Census

Authors: Thomas Körner, Anja Krause, Kathrin Ramsauer

Expert report 2017 of the National Regulatory Control Council (NKR) (only in German): " Mehr Leistung für Bürger und Unternehmen: Verwaltung digitalisieren. Register modernisieren"

This publication of the National Regulatory Control Council is available for download from the NKR website (see NKRl press release of 6 October 2017).

Annual Report 2023 of the National Regulatory Control Council: "Consolidate, streamline, digitalise. Reducing bureaucracy. Equipping Germany for the future."

The Annual Report 2023 of the National Regulatory Control Council entitled "Consolidate, streamline, digitalise. Reducing bureaucracy. Equipping Germany for the future." is available for download from the NKR website.

Digital strategy of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community

"Digitales Deutschland - Souverän. Sicher. Bürgerzentriert." Digital policy objectives and measures of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, to be implemented by 2025 (only in German). 

The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community and its executive agencies cover a broad range of tasks and activities. One important area is the digitalisation of government and administration while guaranteeing cyber and information security. The Federal Ministry is guided by the clear principle that the digitalisation of public administration must first and foremost serve the general public and businesses and at the same time strengthen government performance and efficiency. At the same time, we must ensure that our values are respected and actively applied in the digital sphere as well.

FAQ

What is the difference between a traditional, a register-assisted and a register-based census?

A traditional census is a complete survey of the population. All citizens are obliged to provide information. The last traditional population census was conducted in the former territory of the Federal Republic in 1987.

The 2022 Census was carried out using a register-assisted procedure, as was the 2011 Census. This method ensures reliable results for the whole of Germany even though not all citizens had to provide information, a burden reduction which was possible because most of the data were already available in registers. Additional surveys were only conducted on a limited basis, for instance, to collect missing data or clarify inaccuracies.

The register-based method collects census results from existing data sources. Information that citizens have already provided to administrative authorities does not need to be collected again (once-only principle). The basic requirement is to make use of existing registers or to establish new ones for statistics in compliance with the data protection and information security rules.

How is the census conducted in other European countries?

Of the 31 countries in the European Statistical System (ESS) conducted a register-based census in the 2015-2024 census round without any supplementary surveys. These include Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Latvia and Spain. A total of 12 countries, including Germany, used a combination of registers and data from supplementary surveys. The traditional method – the full-scale census – was only applied in six countries. France conducted a rolling census, collecting information from one fifth of the population each year over a period of five consecutive years.

The trend towards a register-based census has been strengthened further by the Covid-19 pandemic. This method is also best suited to meeting European Union requirements for the infra-annual delivery of selected census results.

How can secure data transmission between the authorities be ensured?

The data from administrative registers are transmitted using existing and proven structures. Comprehensive security measures are in place to protect the data from illegal linkage. Unauthorised access is prevented by involving third parties and using multiple encryption (4-corner model).

The process of transmitting the data is agreed separately with each authority that keeps a register. Transport encryption is also ensured. In the long-term, the aim is to transmit the data via the central data portal of the statistical offices of the Federation and the Länder.

How can citizens find out what personal data concerning them are stored and processed for future censuses?

In order to exercise their right to informational self-determination, citizens need information on the personal data concerning them that are available at administrative authorities, and on when the data were retrieved and for what purpose. Commissioned by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is in the process of developing a "data protection cockpit" in accordance with the Register Modernisation Act, which will provide the relevant transparency. This digital monitoring tool will enable citizens to get an overview of what is happening with their data.

Methods

Until the register census is implemented, we would like to keep you updated with comprehensive information about the methodology applied, the legal basis, data protection and information security.

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Experimental statistics

In the "EXSTAT – Experimental statistics section" we regularly publish new and innovative project results of the Federal Statistical Office. These are obtained by using new data sources and methods. Both the degree of maturity and quality of the results differ from those of official statistics, especially regarding harmonisation, coverage and methodology. Nonetheless these results of the statistical offices of the Federation and the Länder offer new and interesting ways of looking at various statistical topics.

Selected articles from the EXSTAT series

Remote sensing data and artificial intelligence in the register census

As the concept of the register census is being designed, a feasibility study investigates in how far remote sensing data such as satellite data or aerial photographs can help to produce census results in the future.

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Ex­per­i­men­tal statis­tics