Census 2023: Do it now!

Census 2023 online version, Whanganui Chronicle / Bevan Conley.

Census night is Tuesday, March 7. By now everyone should have received Census packs, but you don’t need to wait until census night you can go ahead and fill the Census out now.

StatsNZ and Cabinet have extended the Census collection period for the areas impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, but the rest of New Zealand needs to complete their Census by Tuesday.

For the first time in this Census, you can complete the Census just by getting a Census code sent to your phone.

Anyone who hasn’t received their Census info can go to the Census website or call the Census helpline (0800 CENSUS (0800 236 787)) to request either an access code for the online Census or paper forms.

In New Zealand, a Census happens every five years and anyone who is in New Zealand on Census night, including Harry Styles, is required to complete it.

The historical purpose of a Census is to count the population, but modern censuses take the opportunity to collect other important information about the population.

This year you will need to answer 21 questions about your dwelling and everyone who lives with you will need to answer up to 54 individual questions.

Simon Mason, Deputy Government Statistician and deputy chief executive Census and Collection Operations says completing the Census is probably, other than voting, the single biggest way of engaging with government.

The Census provides detailed information about New Zealand’s small communities. For example, 30,867 people with Niuean ethnicity completed the 2018 Census and this provided information about the Niuean community that is not available from any other source.

Mason encourages “people to participate in Census because if they’re not reflected in the data then decisions will be made on their behalf without them”.

In this Census, for the first time, there will be questions about gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual identity.

Mason said for many people this will be the first time they will be able to “see themselves in the data” and this will enable health and other services to better address the needs of more diverse communities.

Mason emphasised that “we can guarantee anonymity” and that StatsNZ does not share the individual data with other government departments and those agencies don’t have the powers to get the individual data either.

Following on from the low response rate in the first online Census in 2018 alternatives to the online response are more readily available.

Stats NZ expects that the vast majority of people will complete the Census online and Mason says that completing the Census online provided the best experience, but that there are other avenues to complete the Census.

In the online version, you will not be asked questions that previous answers indicate are not relevant. For example, indicating that you are not of Māori descent will mean you skip the iwi affiliation question. Conversely, if you are Māori you can use an online map to indicate your iwi affiliation - an option that isn’t available using printed forms.

StatsNZ has used its considerable statistical knowledge of New Zealanders, including things like how much online shopping a community uses, to identify what they think people will need to respond to the Census.

Mason said some people will have had a collector dropping off a pack of forms, some people will have received a post-out form with the code needed to do it via the internet, and a small part of the population is in an “assist stream” where they can choose to have help to fill out the Census.

In 2023, 44 per cent of households will receive paper Census forms. In 2018, just 3 per cent of households were sent paper forms. There will also be more “boots on the ground” working longer hours.

There are also a large number of Census support locations and events. Many libraries around the country can provide Census support and Census support has been available at events ranging from Te Matatini, community fairs and markets, and church services.

Support at these events includes answering questions, provision of a device to complete the Census online, assistance ordering paper forms, and help and support to understand and complete the Census forms.