Where do you need to build? Among other things, the 2022 census provides data on the distribution of living space in Germany.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin May 15 is the cut-off date for the next nationwide census. This was announced by the Federal Statistical Office on Wednesday. Every ten years, the office collects data on the population structure and housing situation in Germany in this way.
The last census dates from 2011. Due to the corona pandemic, the upcoming 2021 survey was postponed by one year.
Much of the data for the survey comes from administrative registers, so the majority of the population does not have to provide any information. In addition, around 30 million people in Germany will be surveyed directly this year, usually via an online questionnaire. The selected households, which are informed by letter, are obliged under the census law to take part in the survey.
The results are scheduled to be published 18 months later, in November 2023.
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Then there will be up-to-date, detailed information on how many people live in this country and where. This includes, among other things, data on single and multi-family houses, the number of single households, registered civil partnerships or marriages with and without children as well as blended families.
The census also provides information on the education and working life of the population. How many workers are there? How many children will be enrolled in school in the coming years? How many buildings and apartments are there in Germany?
Data helps with infrastructure measures
Stefan Dittrich, technical project manager of the 2022 census at the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden, explains the relevance of the survey: “This data is important because it gives the elected representatives of politics information about the regions in which measures are necessary in order to achieve the best possible equivalent living conditions in Germany all parts of Germany.” Based on the population structure, for example, it can be determined where infrastructure measures are necessary.
For the first time, the census collects data on the type of heating and the duration and reasons for vacancies in individual regions. Also new is the nationwide survey of net cold rents, broken down regionally for different household types and sizes. For this so-called building and apartment census, all private owners of apartments or buildings with living space are surveyed, as are commercial multiple owners and administrators.
This is the first time that existing rents can be compared by region and building structure, says Dittrich. In addition, the census enables cities and municipalities to plan housing based on people’s specific needs.
The results of the census of buildings and dwellings are intended to provide an overview of the structure of the buildings by year of construction, type of heating and heating energy source. This in turn can be used to show the energetic condition of buildings in Germany.
The energy sources are divided into gas, oil, pellets, biomass, solar, electricity and coal. According to Destatis, this information can, for example, support future planning for the expected renovation of old buildings and the scope of support to be expected.
>> Read here: The crux of the heat transition – what makes the switch to climate-friendly heating systems so difficult
From 2026, the installation of oil heaters will no longer be permitted in buildings in which more climate-friendly heat generation is possible. According to the statistics authority, the census thus provides data on a key area of energy-efficient building renovation in Germany.
However, the figures collected do not only play a role for municipal planning projects. Based on the population structure, for example, constituencies are divided and the distribution of votes in the Bundesrat is calculated. Financial compensation payments between the federal states and the municipalities are also based on the determined population figures.
More: There is a lack of apartments in Germany: These seven measures should alleviate the problem