Census 2021
A message from the President of Statistics Portugal
The Census is here!
2021 brought us the challenge of conducting the Census in the month of April.
Statistics Portugal’s major goal and motivation have been to ensure the quality of the Census’s results as well as the health safety of the population, census enumerators, and the entire operational framework involved in this operation.
But we can all be part of this Census, contributing with a timely response using the Internet and informing those around us to do so.
For Statistics Portugal, having the possibility to respond to the Census using the Internet was, undoubtfully, strategic from the beginning. At a time when public health is faced with such a challenge, responding via the Internet is even more important.
To achieve that, you need to pay close attention to the letter that all households will receive from the 5th of April onwards as it contains the codes needed for your response.
With everyone’s involvement, Statistics Portugal will increasingly become a more relevant and responsive institution to the needs of our society as a community.
From the 5th of April onwards, keep an eye on your mail and from the 19th of April take the Census using the Internet until the 3rd of May.
Statistics Portugal thanks you. Society, as a community, thanks you.
On behalf of the Board,
Francisco Lima
About the Census
O que são e para que servem. Descubra mais sobre os Censos.
The Census is here
Everyone counts.
We count on everyone.
The response to the 2021 CENSUS will preferably be made using the Internet, allowing an easy, safe, and fast approach for citizens.
From the 5th of April onwards, census enumerators will begin distributing letters to all households on national territory with the codes needed to respond to the 2021 CENSUS via the Internet (or telephone). Pay close attention to your mailbox!
The response phase begins on the 19th of April.
We are looking forward your answer online, preferably by the 3rd of May.
To respond via the internet:
Easy – Access censos2021.ine.pt
Safe – Enter the code and password indicated in the letter you received from Statistics Portugal
Fast – Answer the questions and when you are done select Submit.
Whenever an Internet response is not possible, other ways of participating in the 2021 Census are available, namely:
• Telephone, for groups of the population who have greater difficulty in responding via the Internet or who cannot be contacted in person;
• “e-balcão” at the Parish Councils (subject to local accessibility conditions and depending on the respective public health situation);
• Self-completion of paper questionnaires, delivered by census takersenumerators, who comply with a strict Public Health Protocol.
If you need assistance:
Support Line 210 54 20 21
2021 Census operation
The XVI Population Census and the VI Housing Census – Censuses – will take place in 2021.
For over 150 years the Census has provided society with the largest statistical portrait of Portugal. Public bodies, private entities, and citizens in general recognise the usefulness of census information as a key element for planning services or defining policies in areas such as education, health, housing, and employment.
Our commitment is that the 2021 Census will be more efficient, more innovative and that they will continue to respond to the needs of society.
Get acquainted with the Action Programme for the 2021 Census where we present the integrated vision of the main activities to be developed within the scope of the census operation, the guidelines in terms of variables to be observed, the communication and dissemination programmes and the main vectors of the Contingency Plan for the implementation of the 2021 Census under the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 Census questionnaires
2021 Census questionnaires: other available languages
Contingency Plan to be implemented on the 2021 Census operation
Statistics Portugal will conduct the 2021 Census together with local authorities, in accordance with national legislation, to pursue the longest and most consistent national statistical series on population and housing.
The implementation of the Census 2021, which will begin in April, comes after a rigorous analysis and feasibility assessment by Statistics Portugal, which defined a Contingency Plan to ensure the quality of the implementation of the census and safeguard the risks for the population, census enumerators and other staff involved in the operation under the current epidemiological context.
This Contingency Plan is based on the following general guidelines:
- A strategy that reinforces the option of responding to the Census using the Internet, with support to the population given through a telephone line, allowing an easy, safe, and quick response approach for citizens. In the current epidemiological context, this response method is even more relevant, also considering that it avoids or reduces to the minimum the contacts, in number and duration, between census enumerators and the population.
- The possibility of a telephone response, aimed essentially at groups of the population who find it more difficult to respond via the Internet or who are prevented from face-to-face contact, namely for public health reasons;
- The strengthening of mechanisms for monitoring fieldwork and validating information collected in a pandemic crisis context, namely through the integration of administrative data;
- Compliance with a Public Health Protocol for the preparation and implementation of the 2021 Census in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (version dated 12/03/2021), which ensures the application of the health standards forwarded by the health authorities. This protocol follows the technical guidelines of the Directorate General of Health (DGS) and includes specific recommendations for the preparation and implementation of the census operation and is subject to update according to the guidelines of the health authorities, considering the evolution of the epidemiological situation.
In cases where an Internet or telephone response is not possible, other ways of response will be available, namely the use of “e-Balcões” in the Parish Councils that allow for support to the Internet response (subject to local accessibility conditions and depending on the respective public health situation) and, finally, the possibility of responding by completing the questionnaires on paper, following all the security measures provided for in the Public Health Protocol.
The 2021 Census will take place safeguarding quality and safety for the entire population to participate.
Everyone counts,
We count on everyone.
Legislation
Confidentiality
Get acquainted with the national and international legislation about the Census.
2011 Census
Get to know all about the population, households, and housing portraited by the last Census conducted in Portugal.
Content to be considered in the 2021 Census
Since the first population census, the content of the Census has undergone numerous changes. Some variables have been collected since 1860, such as gender, age, or marital status, while others have been included or excluded according to the importance of the topic over time.
However, in recent census operations the number of variables collected have been increasing significantly, reflected into a statistical burden on citizens, greater complexity, higher collection costs and longer processing times.
The modernization process of the 2021 Census also involves changes in the content to be observed. Hence, three new variables were introduced and some variables observed in the past were excluded in the 2021 Census.
The Census goes to schools
Large-scale and requiring vast means to conduct them, census operations can only be fully successful if the entire population is involved and participates.
Integrated in a wider communication plan, the project “THE CENSUS GOES TO SCHOOLS” is an initiative developed by Statistics Portugal in collaboration with the ALEA Team[1] that aims to convene the educational community for the dissemination of the importance of responding to the 2021 Census:
• To inform students of the various levels of education about what the Census is, what it is used for and how it is carried out;
• Mobilise and encourage students and family members in answering the 2021 Census 2021 safely online.
[1] ALEA – Ação Local Estatística Aplicada (www.alea.pt) – is a joint project between Escola Secundária de Tomaz Pelayo (https://portal.tomazpelayo.com), Direção Geral de Estabelecimentos Escolares (www.dgeste.mec.pt) and Statistics Portugal (www.ine.pt).
Census 2021: Public consultation process
As part of the preparatory work for the 2021 Census, a public consultation process took place on the variables to be observed. This process aimed at listening to statistical information needs of different users considering that from this interaction will result in a greater adequacy and usefulness of the data to be made available by the 2021 Census.
The consultation process began in February 2018, with the bodies and entities represented in the Statistical Council and other institutional users. In this phase, 81 entities and personalities were consulted and asked to contribute to the content of the 2021 Census.
This was followed by a public consultation, available on the website of Statistics Portugal between April and September 2018, aiming the participation of the whole Society. In the public consultation about 70 comments were received, mostly from public bodies and entities, but also from associations and private entities and individuals.
All comments were analysed in the framework of the work of the Ad-hoc Section for 2021 Census of the Statistical Council, taking into consideration criteria of pertinence, relevance, operationality, costs and statistical burden.
This process allowed improving the content to be observed in the 2021 Census, namely through the identification/clarification of information needs in certain themes. On the other hand, several contributions or proposals for new variables were not considered due to issues outside the census scope, the existence of alternative information sources (administrative or sample surveys) or even for reasons of operational complexity and effectiveness of the operation.
Legislation and Confidentiality
The implementation of the 2021 Censuses – XVI General Population Census and VI General Housing Census – is subject to specific legislation, according to Law no. 6/2019, of 11 January and Decree-Law no. 54/2019, of 18 April. Confidentiality and security of internet responses are guaranteed using secure communication channels, using encrypted communications (HTTPS communication protocol).
The processing and validation of the data collected are also carried out under strict control of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, in accordance with internal information security policies applied to all assets managed by Statistics Portugal, following the guidelines of NP ISO/IEC 27001:2013.
The data collected is used exclusively for statistical purposes, with no possibility of further identification of respondents, and no rights, privileges or benefits of an individual or household are affected.
The citizen shall be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of his/her code and password, and for the activities resulting from their use. Statistics Portugal shall be immediately notified in case the citizen verifies any unauthorised use of his/her code and password.
In all components of Census preparation, implementation and dissemination, Statistics Portugal ensures compliance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 27 April, and of Law 58/2019 of 8 August (Law implementing the GDPR in the national legal order).
Under the terms of the Census legislation, the exercise of the right of access and rectification by the data subject may be exercised up until the moment when the electronic form is delivered, i.e. when the respondent considers his/her response finalised, and thus concludes his/her collaboration via the Internet.”
Check here to access specific national and international legislation:
Becoming familiar with Statistics Portugal’s website
Access the data and findings of the previous Census and keep informed about the most recent studies on, for example, employment, migrations, the national GDP, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 contingency plan
In a time where social distance must prevail to avoid the spreading of Covid-19, we came up with a simpler and safer way to answer the Census.
