How is the census conducted?

The 2011 Population and Housing Census (PHC 2011) is conducted in two stages:

• The e-census from 31 Dec 2011 to 31 Jan 2012, when all permanent residents of Estonia can complete the census questionnaires online by themselves. The online questionnaires can be accessed 24 hours a day;
• The interview census from 16 Feb 2012 to 31 Mar 2012, when enumerators visit those people who did not complete the questionnaires during the e-census. Enumerators can visit people’s dwellings on any day between 9:00 and 21:00, or before 9:00 or after 21:00, subject to agreement with the residents. On the Estonian Independence Day (24 Feb 2012), interviews will be conducted only if previously agreed.

For the purpose of the interview census, Estonia has been divided into three regions, which are further divided into districts, supervision areas and enumeration areas.

There are 15 districts – five in Tallinn and ten in the rest of Estonia. The central offices of districts are located in nine other cities in addition to Tallinn: Pärnu, Haapsalu, Narva, Jõhvi, Viljandi, Paide, Tartu, Rakvere and Võru. The conduct of the census in each district is managed by district heads who are in charge of supervisors. A district can comprise 8 to 10 supervision areas.

The total number of supervision areas is 132, with each of them having 14 to 16 enumeration areas. Supervisors oversee the work of the enumerators.

An enumeration area is the working area of one enumerator. There are 2,000 enumerators in total across Estonia, incl. enumerators of institutions (social welfare institutions and others). In addition, 200 enumerators are on standby, ready to be called if there is a need to substitute for an enumerator in an area due to illness or other reasons.