On March 23, 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) held an online public consultation on the draft questionnaires for the 2024 Population and Housing Census (PHC).
The event, broadcast live on the Bureau’s Facebook page, was attended by approximately 90 participants, including representatives of central and local public authorities, civil society, academia, field experts, development partners, and other interested individuals.
At the opening of the event, NBS Director General Oleg Cara emphasized the importance of conducting the 2024 Population and Housing Census in the Republic of Moldova, noting that the census is a large-scale, complex, and nationally significant exercise, during which data about the entire population of the country is collected—data that are essential for making informed public decisions aimed at improving people's lives.
During the consultation, the content of the three draft questionnaires proposed for PHC 2024 was presented: the Housing Questionnaire, the Collective Living Space Questionnaire, and the Person Questionnaire. These drafts were developed based on consultations regarding census topics and variables conducted from December 2022 to February 2023, following the decisions of the National Commission for the Population and Housing Census (NCPHC) adopted during its meeting on February 28, 2023.
The census questionnaires include characteristics of the census units (individual, household, dwelling, and building). In determining the variables, in addition to international recommendations, the following criteria were considered: relevance, burden on respondents and enumerators, clarity for respondents, efficiency and usefulness for society and data users, continuity with data from previous censuses, and the lack of alternative data sources for collecting these variables.
The list of PHC subjects and variables was previously discussed in roundtable meetings on December 22–23, 2022, with key groups of data users.
Participants in the consultations appreciated the draft questionnaires, highlighting the importance and complexity of the census and the growing and diverse demand for statistical data in society. The suggestions provided by participants addressed the content of all three questionnaires, as well as the procedures for completing them and enumerating the population and housing.
During the event, participants asked questions regarding:
- ethnocultural variables,
- housing ownership from a gender perspective,
- education participation,
- daily activity difficulties,
- agricultural activities of households,
- volunteer activities, etc.
Participants also discussed census procedures, particularly the enumeration of children, temporarily present or absent persons, the correlation of census data with administrative sources, and the comparability of 2024 census data with the 2014 census.
All proposals received through public consultations will be carefully examined in the process of finalizing the questionnaires. Suggestions can be submitted until March 31, 2023, with more details available on particip.gov.md, where the questionnaires are posted for consultation.
The finalized drafts following public consultations will be tested, including during the pilot census, planned for the second semester of the current year. The census questionnaires will be finalized after testing during the pilot census.
The preparation and testing of the census questionnaires are conducted alongside other key preparatory activities for the census, with the participation of central and local public authorities and other entities, in accordance with Government Decision No. 951 of December 28, 2022, on the organization and conduct of the Population and Housing Census in the Republic of Moldova in 2024.
More information about PHC 2024 is available on the NBS website: https://statistica.gov.md/ro/recensamantul-populatiei-si-al-locuintelor-2024-9940.html.
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