2024 national census first to use online self-registration, electronic technology - Statistics Office

Gogita Todradze, the Head of the National Statistics Office of Georgia, on Friday said the next national census would be held later this year, with information about demographic composition and socio-economic factors of the population to be collected using “absolutely modern technology”.

In his interview with Interpressnews, Todradze said a “special” electronic questionnaire would be posted on the website of the Office, enabling individuals to fill the data online during the first 10 days of the census, set to run between November 15-December 19.

In his explanation of the Office moving on from paper questionnaires used for collecting past census data, Todradze said those who do not fill in the online form would be interviewed by professionals from the agency, who would use tablet devices.

He added the Office was considering “several incentive options” to encourage individuals to participate in the census by online self-registration.

The official also said a census on agriculture would also be added to the data for collecting information about farming activities of households.

The census will involve three questionnaires - for information about households, family ties and living conditions; personal data of each resident; and agriculture information “in detail”, he said.

Todradze also clarified all individuals who had continuously resided in the country for 12 months or longer would be subject to the census, with categories of “temporary residents” and “temporarily absent citizens” also indicated.

He also said about 12,000 interviewers would be employed for the census, with the budget of around ₾29 million ($10.84mln) set for the task.

The country's most recent census was conducted in 2014 and showed Georgia’s population had decreased by 15 percent, from 4,371,535 to 3,713,804, over the preceding 12 years.