Estonia Breaks the e-Census World Record

According to the preliminary data issued by Statistics Estonia, a total of 814,848 people, or 62 percent of the nation’s estimated population, were counted in the e-census. Expectations for participation in the e-census were surpassed by threefold, according to Statistics Estonia, and the result exceeds Canada’s 54.6 percent e-census participation rate, which so far marked the world record.

The total number of completed personal questionnaires, where the person’s household and living space had also been enumerated, was 815,467, which is 62% of the estimated population of Estonia. “If we include the people who had omitted to enumerate some of the household members or had not completed the dwelling questionnaire, the total number of completed personal questionnaires is 880,455, which accounts for 66.7% of the estimated population,” said Diana Beltadze, Project Manager of the 2011 Population and Housing Census.

The final proportion of e-census participants will be revealed after the publication of the census results in May, when the actual population size of Estonia has been determined. The planned census end date for the census is March 31. During the first month (Dec. 31 2011 to Feb. 1 2012), the permanent residents of Estonia could complete the census online. Those who did not participate in the e-census will be visited by an enumerator in the period of February 16 to March 31, 2012.