The microcensus 2026 has begun. From January through December, one per cent of the German population living in private households and residential facilities will be selected by a statistical random procedure and asked to participate, announced the Federal Statistical Office on Monday. Selected households are asked for their cooperation.
These households are intended to represent a broad swath of German society, providing information on topics such as family composition, education, labour‑market participation, migration, income, living conditions, housing situation and internet use. The resulting data will be made available to the public, policymakers, administrative bodies, businesses, academics and the media.
Unlike the decennial census, last carried out in 2022, the microcensus supplies annual updates on the demographic, economic and social structure of the population. Every four years it also includes in‑depth housing questions – this year as well. The supplementary housing module yields insights into ownership rates, living area, and the average proportion of income spent on rent by German households.
The survey incorporates questions from EU‑wide statistics on labour‑market participation, income, living conditions, and internet usage. These internationally comparable results are deemed important for EU initiatives aimed at improving equal living standards, for example through the allocation of financial resources from the EU’s regional and social funds, according to the statisticians.
Households chosen at random are notified by the relevant state statistical office and are legally obliged to respond. Respondents may complete the questionnaire online, though some state offices employ interviewers as well. Paper copies of the questionnaire are also available to all households.