The Front Page: Census 2023 – why it pays to share your information

The census plays a critical role in planning for the country's future. Photo / Getty Images

The arduous task of counting all the people who live in New Zealand is fast approaching.

March 7 is Census Day, meaning that each of us will have to fill out forms detailing how many people live in our homes.

NZ Herald’s head of newsroom data Chris Knox tells The Front Page podcast that we shouldn’t underestimate the value of completing this information.

“I personally think that filling out the census probably gives you more than voting in terms of what you get from the government,” he says.

“It’s your one chance to ensure that you, as an individual, are captured in the government’s decision-making process.”

In addition to playing a pivotal role in informing the government’s decision-making processes, census data also provide a critical tool in holding the government to account for decisions that are actually made.

“As well as it being the government’s tool for making decisions, it’s our tool for checking their decisions,” says Knox.

He explains that it allows the public to question whether the right decisions are being made by the government.

Census data can also offer value at a grassroots level, with individuals using the information to help their communities.

“A story that stood out to me was about a welding contractor up in Hāwera, who actually used the census data to identify where there were young people who didn’t have employment and then went there to find those young people and offer them apprenticeships in his welding firm.”

Another example Knox uses is of last year’s Young New Zealander of the year Ezra Hirawani, who saw in the census data that many New Zealanders didn’t have electricity and then decided to do something about it.

At its best, the census data provides both New Zealanders and the Government with an overview of what’s needed in the country and where it’s most needed.

Listen to the full episode of The Front Page podcast to hear what’s being done to reach New Zealanders in cyclone-damaged areas, which new questions could spark controversy, whether we should be concerned about people living off the grid, and whether touring popstar Harry Styles has to fill out a form.