CSO’s Census Pilot Survey to test new online census
The Central Statistics Office said today that its Census Pilot Survey will take place in 44 locations across the country during September.
Census 2027 will be the first census in Irish history where the public will have the option to complete their census form online.
The CSO is conducting the Census Pilot Survey to test new questions and to see how well this online option works.
It is asking every household selected for this survey to take part so it can evaluate its online option.
The online form can be completed on a variety of devices such as mobile phones, tablets or laptops. People can also complete a paper form and both the online and paper forms are available in Irish and English.
The Census Pilot Survey takes place this month in 44 locations across six counties. The 20,000 households in these areas of Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Louth, Mayo and Offaly were selected as they broadly represent the people living in Ireland and are a mix of urban and rural locations.
Letters of invitation have been posted to homes in the selected pilot areas, which explain how to complete the form online.
For the first time also, forms should be completed for where you usually live and can be completed anytime between now and the official Census Pilot Survey night of September 22.
Census Support Officers will visit the selected homes from September 16 to tell people about the Census Pilot Survey taking place in their area and encourage them to complete their forms.
The officers will be wearing a yellow high-viz vest clearly branded as Census and will be carrying official CSO ID cards.
The CSO also said it will test new and changed questions ahead of Census 2027 to ensure the census accurately reflects the changing society here.
New questions include where a household’s car is parked overnight to gather insights on potential placement of electric chargers, whether your gender is the same or different to the sex recorded at birth, sexual orientation and how a person would self-report their mental health.
Jennifer Banim, Director General of the CSO, said its new Census Pilot Survey marks a significant milestone in the delivery of an online option for Census 2027.
“We are calling on households selected to take part by completing the form either online or on paper. Your participation will help us test this new, historic phase of census collection in Ireland,” she added.
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