The 2025 Micro Census has begun. From January to December 2025, a total of one percent of the population will be randomly selected and surveyed in private households and communal accommodations, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Wednesday.
The Micro Census, unlike the census, which is typically conducted every ten years (last in 2022), provides annual data on the structure, economic, and social situation of the population. The results of the Micro Census will serve as a basis for political decisions that affect the lives of people in Germany. They will regularly be incorporated into the Federal Government’s poverty and wealth reporting, as well as the children and youth report, the family report, the education report, the migration report, and the integration report of the Federal Government.
Furthermore, the Micro Census includes questions on European statistics on labor market participation, income, and living conditions, as well as internet use. The internationally comparable results are significant for measures to establish equal living conditions in the European Union (EU), for example, through the distribution of financial resources from the EU’s regional and social funds, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Households selected through a statistical random sampling process for the Micro Census will be contacted by their State Statistical Office and are legally obligated to provide information, the authority explained. Those surveyed can fill out the Micro Census questionnaire online. Some State Statistical Offices will use interviewers for the surveys. The survey can then be conducted in person at the respondents’ homes or by phone by staff of the State Statistical Office. For all households, there is also the option to fill out the Micro Census questionnaire in paper form.