49 questions will be asked to every Belarusian during the population census
Starting Point
Information will be entered into the census forms as of 00:00 on October 4, 2019. Events that occurred after this moment are not recorded.
– The census data is unique, as it cannot be obtained through current accounting or from available administrative resources, – noted Natalia Shrub, Deputy Head of the Main Department – Head of the Department of Demographic Statistics and Population Census of the Vitebsk Regional Main Statistical Department.
The census results will form the basis for managerial decisions in the economic and social sectors of the country, and will be used in the formation of republican and local budgets, the allocation of funds for pensions, healthcare, education, housing and communal services, and other areas.
Natalia Olegovna reported that foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently or temporarily residing or staying in our country are also subject to the census.
– Only those who have left the country on a business trip, for work, or for study for a year or more are not subject to the census, – clarified Natalia Shrub.
Choose Your Method
There are various ways to participate in the census. From October 4 to 18, there is an opportunity to fill out questionnaires online independently. Simultaneously, mobile census taker groups will go to organizations and survey their employees.
From October 21 to 30, census takers will conduct household surveys for those who have not done so in previous days.
– Home surveys will be conducted from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM; in rural areas, an earlier completion time will be set. The census taker will have a bag with a logo, a tablet, and an ID card, – noted Natalia Shrub.
Throughout the entire period of the census, from 9:00 to 21:00 daily, without days off or lunch breaks, 90 stationary polling stations will be operating, where you can come and provide information about yourself and your family members.
What will be asked?
The 2019 population census program includes 49 questions (in the 2009 census, there were 37). In addition to traditional questions (date and place of birth, gender, marital status, citizenship, nationality, education, employment), there will be new ones. For example, whether the respondent plans to leave Belarus and why, the reason why they are not working in their place of residence. The current questionnaire also includes questions about additional education and family planning (only for women aged 18-49).
For the first time, information about agricultural activities will be collected – the size of cultivated land, the number of livestock raised, and so on.
– The economic stability and food security of the state directly depend on the level of agricultural development. But no development is possible without objective data on the country's agricultural potential, on those who live and work in rural areas. There has never been a agricultural census in the Republic of Belarus. Although the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recommends conducting them, like population censuses, once every 10 years. For example, in the USA and Canada, this is done every five years, in Germany and the Netherlands – every four years, in Australia and New Zealand – every year, – said Natalia Olegovna.
Respondents can be surveyed in Russian or Belarusian. Documents confirming the answers to all questions are not required. Information is entered based on the respondent's statement. Data on minors is provided by parents or close relatives.
During the census days, from 9:00 to 21:00, a call center with a single number 8-801-100-31-31 will be operating, where you can clarify all your questions. Calls from any phone are free.