National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus

1. National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus Population and housing census 2009 in the Republic of Belarus ___________________________________________________________________ Elena Kukharevich Deputy Chairperson of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus

2. The population and housing census was carried out in Belarus from 14 through 24 October 2009 The whole operation cycle of the preparation and census taking, personal data processing and dissemination of results took 5 years: fromJanuary 2007 through31 December 2011

3. Legal basis of the population census For the first time in the country’s history the population census was carried out in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 13 July 2006 “On the Population Census”which created the legal basis for the collection and processing of personal data and dissemination of final census results. • Planned: • to include a regulation on the mandatory undergoing enumeration; • legal framework for electronic data collection.

4. Preparatory activities for the census 2009 • Elaboration and approval of the legal basis and organisational and methodological documents for the census; • Census zoning; • Public awareness campaign; • Pilot census 2007; • Design, development and implementation of the automated information system “Population Census 2009”; • Recruitment and training of temporary census staff.

5. Electronic census zoning Results of the census zoning (census areas) were for the first time transferred in electronic format, which allowed for the creation of the database containing: - for urban settlements: information about the address details of each building (including the name of the locality, street, and number of the building), as well as its assignment to a particular census area; - for rural areas: assignment of localities to census areas.

6. Such approach allowed to: • automate the labour-intensive process of defining the composition of any census, instructor’s or enumeration district; • assign a unique code to each enumeration district, which resulted in the elaboration of a bar code system for census portfolios.

7. Results of the electronic census zoning: • allowed for the automated organisational planning for the population census • resulted in the elaboration of a bar code system for census portfolios • were used in the process of editing of address part of the census questionnaires during data processing

8. GIS technology • Transferred in electronic format cartographic material was used as a basis for the creation of the geographic information system “Population Census”; • Electronic maps containing digitized outlines of regions and administrative districts of the country, cities, rural councils, rural localities, and census areas and districts within cities.

9. Pilot census 2007 Pilot census allowed to solve the issues of the basic census: • duration and period of census taking • creation of fixed census stations • defining the methods of data collection • testing the training programme for temporary census staff • refining the census programme

10. Duration and period of census taking Unlike in previous censuses, the population census 2009 in Belarus was planned for October, and the pilot census justified the validity of such decision. Compared with the 1999 census, the duration of census increased from 8 to 11 days, which allowed for the reduction of burden on enumerator, and thus for a better quality of interview. Creation of fixed census stations Respondents were provided the opportunity to come to the fixed station and answer the census questionnaire. During the basic census taking 4.8% of respondents were enumerated in the fixed stations.

11. Choosing of data collection methods self-completing method answers to the questions in the census questionnaires were filled in by the population interview by enumerator answers to the questions in the census questionnaires were filled in by specially trained staff The method of interviewing by enumerators was justified by the pilot census as the only possible for the exhaustive population census 2009 The population census 2009 was carried out with traditional method. Personal data were collected by census staff by interviewing each full-age respondent and completing census questionnaires when door-to-door visiting housing units.

12. Census programme In the process of pilot census the 2009 census programme was refined: • the question wordings which were difficult for respondents to understand were revised, additional prompts to selected questions of the census programme were added for the census staff; • new questions were included covering internal and international migration as well as the issues of labour migration for the estimation of labour resources at the level of administrative districts, cities, and urban-type settlements.

13. Public awareness campaign The monitoring of public opinion showed that: some respondents think: • census is used for taxation purposes; • census data may result in administrative procedures if the registration address is different from the actual address; • unauthorized people may access personal data; • criminals, pretending to be enumerators, may try to enter apartments and houses for the purpose of theft, etc. Socially passive population groups not willing to participate in public activities, as well as selected individuals willing to protest by denying to be enumerated, were identified

14. Public awareness campaign was carried out by territorial statistical offices jointly with mass media • public awareness campaign (articles in newspapers, radio addresses, advertising posters in public places); • advocacy campaign (round tables, briefings, advertising support of special projects for selected population groups); • monitoring of public opinion (opinion polls).

15. Personal data processing Processing censtralized in Belstat - • ensured personal data confidentiality; • use of the uniform methodological approaches in data editing.

16. The 2009 population censusdata processing: • use of modern information technologies; • flow scanning; • intellectual character recognition. • Result: reduction of processing costs 8 times compared with 1999

17. Automated coding of personal data During automated coding a digital code was automatically assigned to a text answer of respondent to the question in the census questionnaire using computer algorithms of finding this answer in the codifier. • The answers of respondents containing the following names were coded automatically: • streets,avenues, by-streets, etc. • ethnicities; • languages; • countries of the world; • administrative territorial units of the Republic of Belarus.

18. Personal data editing Personal data that failed automated coding and logical checks passed to the stage of personal data editing. Editing at this stage were designed to ensure the completeness and reliability of personal data transfer from census questionnaires to digital electronic format.

19. Dissemination of final results The strategy of the obtained final census data changed greatly. 19992009 paper electronic format

20. System of access to final census data via the Internet The system of access to final census data via the Internet was developed • In interactive mode: • access to census data; • data visualization in the form of tables, charts, diagrams and maps; • customized analytical data processing The system interface is available in Russian and English

21. The most difficult to overcome challenge – is financial challenge The population census is the most expensive statistical operation! The costs per person enumerated – US$ 1.3 The taskfor the 2020 round: To carry out census with the least costs, but with the prompt data dissemination and improved data quality

22. Plans for the future • Census of the 2020 round: • combined methods of data collection; • use of paperless technologies. The task for the 2020 census round: To carry out the census with the least costs, but with the prompt data dissemination and improved data quality

23. The concept of the population census 2020 in the Republic of Belarus – 2015

24. Thank you for your attention!