2021 Register-based census of population, dwellings, and households

Description of method

Register-based census of population represents a method for collecting the data on census unit (persons, households, and dwellings) based on available registers kept in state government bodies.

The method is recommended by EU also in the 2021 Census of Population, Households, and Dwellings.

Testing possibilities for a register-based Census of Population, Households, and Dwellings in Montenegro in 2021.

The Government of Montenegro adopted Information on Importance and Use of Administrative Sources in Statistical Processes with Special Attention on Census at the end of 2015; and the second information on the preparation of 2021 Census of Population, Households, and dwellings in February 2018, together with the proposal of measures for the improvement which provides a clear picture on the current state and preconditions to be fulfilled by included institutions to carry out a register-based population census.

The conclusions of the Government No 07-651 of 1 March 2018 define main preconditions that need to be fulfilled, as it follows:

  • Production of address register with geo referenced addresses,
  • Amendments to the legislation that provides a right for Statistical Office to access all administrative data sources with identifiers,
  • Amendments to the Law on official statistics and official statistical system (Official Gazette of Montenegro No 018/12 of 30 March 2012, and No 047/19 of 12 August 2019) have been adopted.
  • Amendments to the Law on Central Register of Population and Law on Protection of Personal Data are started, so that there is ensured for Statistical Office a right to access administrative data sources with identifiers. The laws have not been yet adopted.

When the address register considered, Administration for Cadastre and State Property (ex. Real Estate Administration) is testing a software solution to use for the implementation of this activity. Local self-governments will be obliged, with assistance of Administration for Cadastre and State Property, to conduct data enters. The availability of human resource structure and hardware equipment in local self-governments will have a large impact on the speed of address register’s implementation, and in any case the situation caused by COVID-19 should be considered.

Under the cooperation with UNDP, through the project “Towards more efficient use of administrative data - analysis of administrative registers in Montenegro “, there is analysed a possibility to use administrative data sources for the production of official statistics in Montenegro, including also those registers that are to be a source of data for the population census. The conclusions of analysis produced by international and local experts are that there exists a good basis for the production of data from administrative registers, but it is necessary to update certain variables/fields in some registers, as well as in cooperation with the Statistical Office, to include new variables in the existing databases of other government institutions.

Key challenge

A key challenge for the implementation of register-based census of population, households, and dwellings is a lack of address register which is the competence of Administration for Cadastre and State Property (ex. Real Estate Administration) and 24 local self-government units.

Important documents:

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