Preparations for 2022 census underway

Every ten years, a census is conducted in Germany to obtain current figures on the number of inhabitants, areas such as employment and education, as well as the number of buildings and housing stock. After the regular census was postponed by one year due to the coronavirus, preparations for the statistical survey of German citizens are now underway. The city of Jena has set up a central census office.

Around 12,500 people will be surveyed directly in Jena, including full surveys in residential homes and shared accommodation. The survey will start in mid-May, with survey officers asking randomly selected households for basic information. The actual survey will be conducted online by the respondent and will take around 10 minutes. The exact procedure will be explained by the survey officers.

To ensure that everything is ready by then, extensive work is currently underway, for which the survey manager Christian Heise and his deputy Lutz Krenkel are responsible. This includes setting up a survey center in the Am Anger 28 building, preparing the data and instructing 85 volunteer survey officers in their tasks.

The entire census places the highest demands on data protection and statistical confidentiality. All legal requirements, including the General Data Protection Regulation, must be strictly adhered to. This is continuously monitored.

Lord Mayor Thomas Nitzsche emphasizes the importance of up-to-date data for the city of Jena: "Solid and up-to-date figures are the basis for far-reaching political and structural decisions such as state financial equalization, the distribution of subsidies or urban development and spatial planning measures. The findings of the census help us as an administration to act in a needs-based and structured manner. I would like to thank the colleagues who are involved in the preparations and those who provide the necessary information - you all count!"

Anyone interested in participating as a survey officer is welcome to contact the Jena census office:

A special page with all relevant information has been created: http://www.jena.de/zensus2022

Furthermore, a brochure is currently being prepared which will be available to all interested parties in January.