1. Main lessons learnt from the censuses in Hungary
Marcell Kovács Director of Census Department Hungarian Central Statistical Office
1st meeting of the Technical Coordination Group for the next Census round in South East Europe Budapest, June 2017

2. 1 Tradition of censuses in Hungary
Hungarian Central Statistical Office is 150 years old in 2017
Hungarian census has a history near as long
1st census: ,
1880, 1890, 1900, 1910,
1920, 1930, 1940, 1849, 1960,
1970, 1980, 1990, 2001,
15th census: 2011
Tradition of full-scope enumeration

3. 2 Preparation for Census 2011
Main points of consideration in planning:
EU regulation
User needs
Costs
National traditions
Online questionnaire
Use of registers

4. 3 Methodology of Census 2011 Reference date: 1st of October, 2011
Data collection period: 1–31 October, 2011
Supplementary data collection 1–8 November 2011 (at local government office in case you couldn’t complete the questionnaires in October)
Multi-mode data collection
Use of registers
Addresses from HCSO’s Address Register
Non-response imputation by using information from Population Register

5. 4 Multi-mode data collection
Or separated periods?
Mode of responding:
Self-administered online questionnaire: 1–16 October, 2011
Self-administered paper questionnaire: 1–16 October, 2011
Interview (paper): 1–31 October, 2011
Rule of responding:
One address = one mode
Respondent package delivered to addresses by the enumerators:
anonymous questionnaires + internet login code
Or by postal service?
Or identified question-naires?

6. No online option for students in dormitories?
5 Online mode
No online option for students in dormitories?
3 internet channels
Private households (no internet option for institutional households)
Hungarian diplomats working abroad (internet login codes distributed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Persons staying temporarily abroad, of whom the family at home couldn’t complete questionnaire
250 logical checks in the online questionnaire (quality insurance)

7. Can self-admin. paper be avoided?
6 Response rate by mode
Rate of responding households:
Self-administered online: 19%
Self-administered paper: 16% bad quality
Interview: 65%
Can self-admin. paper be avoided?
Number of households responding online from 1st to 16th October, 2011

8. 9 Quality Post enumeration survey:
Data collection period: 1–15 December 2011
Sample size: addresses (159 complete enumeration districts in 119 localities)
Results: 3,7% under coverage

9. 10 Microcensus 2016 10% sample (440 000 households)
Reference date: 1st of October, 2016
5 supplementary questionnaires
Multi-mode data collection (separated in time, no self- administered paper):
Self-administered online (also in institutional households): 1–9 October (19%)
Interview (with electronic device): 10th October – 8th November (81%)
Login codes distributed by postal service
Results published: from 31st May, 2017

10. 10 Next steps to 2021
To improve the use of registers – New statistical law gives HCSO the authority to get administrative datasets from the register-owners
To study the advantages/risks of the introduction of personally identified questionnaires

11. Thank you for your attention!