The Ministry of Health will assess whether to postpone the census

Updates: 13.01.2021 12:39

Prague – The Ministry of Health will assess whether it would not be appropriate to postpone the census, which is to take place from March 27 to May 11. After today’s meeting with representatives of the Czech Statistical Office (CSO), the Central Crisis Staff will ask about the risk of the Ministry of Health, said its head Jan Hamáček (CSSD) after the staff meeting. Following the Ministry’s response, the staff would issue a recommendation to move the census, which takes place every ten years, to another date. This would mean, among other things, the need to change the law.

Hamáček said that this year’s census counts on an online phase, which should start on March 27 and end on April 9, but in April and May, a field census is planned, which is to be attended by 11,000 commissioners. “We are at the beginning, we are finding out if it is not a risk,” Hamáček said. He added that the decision will be up to the experts. It envisages a conference between representatives of the Czech Post, whose employees are to take part in the census, and the Ministry of Health.

The aim of the census is to obtain accurate and up-to-date data that serves to more effectively plan for many aspects of public life, including education, health and social care or the integrated rescue system. This year, it is to take place through a website, a mobile application and the traditional method of census commissioners. In addition, it should be possible to fill in the form at 800 selected post offices or send it to the Office by post. The results should be known at the turn of 2021 and 2022.

According to the CZSO’s estimate from last August, up to 60 percent of people could use the option to fill out a form via the Internet during the census. At the last census in 2011, only about a quarter of people used this option. The post office is to be in charge of printing, distribution and processing of paper forms. The project budget is 2.1 billion crowns. The last census amounted to 2.27 billion crowns.

Using the forms, statisticians will find out people’s names and surnames, the type and number of their identity document, date of birth and gender, place of residence, nationality, mother tongue, education, number of children, occupation or commuting. The statisticians will also find out the way of living, the size of the apartment, the connection to the gas and water supply, the way of heating or the composition of the household, ie the list of people in the apartment and the relations between them. People will still be able to voluntarily state whether they profess any religious faith.

The first census was on Czech territory in 1869. Since 1918, ie since the establishment of an independent Czechoslovakia, nine have taken place. So far, the last was ten years ago, when questionnaires could be filled out over the Internet for the first time.