The Russian population census might be postponed

Rosstat asked to postpone the Russian Population Census to 2021. The main stage of the census is now planned for October 2020.

Earlier, on March 30, due to the threat of the COVID-19 outbreak and the introduction of a self-isolation in several regions of the country, the beginning of the census in hard-to-reach areas was postponed.

The change of the deadlines will not affect the quality and result, said the Head of Rosstat Pavel Malkov. On the contrary, we can better prepare to use online technologies, which will become a distinctive feature of the first digital census of Russia.

“The Russian population census should be taken at a new technological level. However, in the current situation, we face a number of challenges related to preparation of infrastructure and equipment for data collection and processing,” says Pavel Malkov. “We have less and less time for training enumerators and setting up equipment that ensures, among other things, the security of the information collected.”

The situation with the COVID-19 outbreak has already affected the activities of foreign statisticians - the timing of the census in the United States, Brazil and Kyrgyzstan has been changed.

“Rosstat management is analyzing the current situation and ready to offer various options for organizing and conducting the future census, so that it will be as effective as possible and in the intended format,” said Mr. Malkov.

The dates of the Russian population census will be determined by the Government of the Russian Federation.

The main stage of the census was planned to be held in October 2020. The census in remote and hard-to-reach areas was to begin on April 1, 2020, but a decision was made to postpone it to a later time.

The Russian population census should take place with the widespread use of digital technology. The main innovation will be the possibility to fill in the online questionnaire on the portal of public services (gosuslugi.ru). Enumerators will use tablets with special software during visiting residential premises. It will also be possible to respond at a special point, including in the premises of “My Documents” multifunctional centers for providing federal and municipal services.