1.1. Contact organisation
Statistics Austria
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Register-based census
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication1.5. Contact mail address
Guglgasse 13, 1110 Wien
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication2.1. Metadata last certified
12 March 20142.2. Metadata last posted
20 October 20132.3. Metadata last update
23 October 20133.1. Data description
Not available.
3.2. Classification system
ISCO-08, NACE Rev. 2, etc.
3.3. Coverage - sector
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
3.4.1. Statistical concepts and definitions - Usual residence
Usual residence means the place where a person normally spends the daily period of rest, regardless of temporary absences for purposes of recreation, holidays, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage. Persons usually resident in the place of enumeration but absent, or expected to be absent, at the time of the census for less than 90 days shall be considered as temporarily absent persons and thus included in the total unusually population. In contrast, persons living or expected to live outside the place of enumeration for 90 days or more shall not be considered temporarily absent and shall therefore be excluded from the total population. This is regardless of the length of visits that they may pay to their families from time to time. Persons who are enumerated but do not meet the criteria for usual residence in the place of enumeration, i.e. do not live or do not expect to live in the place of enumeration for a continuous period of at least 90 days, are considered temporarily present and are therefore not counted in the total usually resident population.
Additional Meta-Data:
Application of the definition of the 'usual residence': The main residences are the basis for the usual residence. According to the time spent there, the distance to the location of work and the residence of the relatives a person has the legal obligation to choose one main residence. The legal basis is the registration law. These main residences are recorded by the municipalities and entered in the central population register. Individuals have to stay in Austria for at least 3 months to be counted in the census.
Third-level students: The main residences are the basis for the usual residence. According to the time spent there, the distance to the location of work and the residence of the relatives a person has the legal obligation to choose one main residence. The legal basis is the registration law. These main residences are recorded by the municipalities and entered in the central population register. Individuals have to stay in Austria for at least 3 months to be counted in the census.
Primary homeless: Primary homeless are included at least partially. If they are subscribed in one of the official contact-offices for homeless they are counted.
Special information on the rules of special cases: The main residence is the decisive factor for the place of usual residence. People have to register their accommodations. If they have more than one, they have to choose the main residence. The legal basis for this decision is the registration law.
3.4.2. Statistical concepts and definitions - Sex
Sex that is registered in the birth certificate. As a rule, this refers to the biological sex. However, a person can have his/her gender changed in the birth certificate (and thus CPR) under certain circumstances (gender reassignment surgery not necessary, but gender alignment has to have taken place).
3.4.3. Statistical concepts and definitions - Age
The age reached at the reference date (in completed years).
3.4.4. Statistical concepts and definitions - Marital status
Marital status is the (legal) conjugal status of an individual in relation to the marriage laws of the country (de jure status).
Additional Meta-Data:
Legal Basis for opposite-sex-marriage: "Gesetz zur Vereinheitlichung des Rechts der Eheschließung und der Ehescheidung im Lande Österreich und im übrigen Reichsgebiet" (dRBGl. I S 807/1938 idgF)
Legal Basis for same-sex-marriage: There is no legal framework for same-sex-marriage. (Legal basis for registered partnerships: BGBl. I Nr. 135/2009)
Minimum age for marriages: 18 years in general. 16 years under certain conditions.
Minimum age for opposite-sex registered partnership: There is no legal framework for opposite-sex registered partnership
Minimum age for same-sex registered partnership: 18
Possibility to divorce or legally separate: The possibility to divorce exists and is regulated in the law for marriages (dRBGl. I S 807/1938). There is no status of "legally separated" in Austria.
3.4.5. Statistical concepts and definitions - Family status
Family status is measured in terms of partner, lone parent or child.
The family nucleus is defined in the narrow sense, that is as two or more persons who belong to the same household and who are related as husband and wife, as partners in a registered partnership, as partners in a consensual union, or as parent and child. Thus a family comprises a couple without children, or a couple with one or more children, or a lone parent with one or more children. This family concept limits relationships between children and adults to direct (first-degree) relationships, that is between parents and children.
Child (son/daughter) refers to a blood, step- or adopted son or daughter (regardless of age or marital status) who has usual residence in the household of at least one of the parents, and who has no partner or own children in the same household. Foster children are not included. A son or daughter who lives with a spouse, with a registered partner, with a partner in a consensual union, or with one or more own children, is not considered to be a child.
The term couple includes married couples, couples in registered partnerships, and couples who live in a consensual union. Married couples include persons in same-sex registered partnerships.
Two persons are considered to be partners in a 'consensual union' when they
- belong to the same household, and
- have a marriage-like relationship with each other, and
- are not married to or in a registered partnership with each other.
'Skip-generation households' (households consisting of a grandparent or grandparents and one or more grandchildren, but no parent of those grandchildren) are not included in the definition of a family.
3.4.6. Statistical concepts and definitions - Household status
Household-dwelling concept is applied. The household-dwelling concept considers all persons living in a housing unit to be members of the same household, such that there is one household per occupied housing unit. In the household dwelling concept, then, the number of occupied housing units and the number of households occupying them is equal, and the locations of the housing units and households are identical.
The category 'Persons living in a private household' comprises 'Persons in a family nucleus' and 'Persons not in a family nucleus'.
The category 'Persons in a family nucleus' comprises all persons who belong to a private household that contains a family nucleus of which they are a member.
'Persons not in a family nucleus' comprises all persons who either belong to a non-family household or to a family household without being member of any family nucleus in that household.
A non-family household can be a one-person household ('Living alone') or a multiperson household without any family nucleus.
The category 'Not living alone' comprises persons that live either in a multiperson household without any family nucleus or in a family household without being member of any family nucleus in that household.
Persons who belong to a skip-generation household and who are not member of any family nucleus in that household shall be classified in the optional category 'Persons living in a household with relative(s)'.
The term 'son/daughter' is defined as the term 'child' in the technical specifications for the topic 'Family status'.
'Husband/wife couple' means married opposite-sex couples and registered same-sex partnerships.
'Consensual union' is defined as in the technical specifications for the topic 'Family status'.
The category 'Partners' comprises 'Persons in a married couple', 'Partners in a registered partnership' and 'Partners in a consensual union'.
Additional Meta-Data:
Generation of households and families: From various registers, like the Social Security Register or the Family Allowance Register, relations between family members can be derived. If no relation can be derived, the relation is estimated.
The relationship between household members is identified via a relationship matrix.
If persons are subscribed in the CPR as homeless they are counted as homeless persons. Persons with usual residence in institutions for homeless persons are not included - they live in institutional households.
3.4.7. Statistical concepts and definitions - Current activity status
'Current activity status' is the current relationship of a person to economic activity, based on a reference period of one week, which is defined as the last seven days prior to enumeration (reference date is included).
The 'currently economically active population' comprises all persons who fulfill the requirements for inclusion among the employed or the unemployed.
'Employed' persons comprise all persons aged 15 years or over who during the reference week: (a) performed at least one hour of work for pay or profit, in cash or in kind, or (b) were temporarily absent from a job in which they had already worked and to which they maintained a formal attachment, or from a self-employment activity.
The 'unemployed' comprise all persons aged 15 years or over who were: (a) 'without work', that is, were not in wage employment or self-employment during the reference week; and (b) 'currently available for work', that is, were available for wage employment or self-employment during the reference week; and (c) 'seeking work', that is, had taken specific steps to seek wage employment or self-employment within the reference week.
Additional Meta-Data:
As the current activity status is derived from various spending registers it is not possible to state all the definitions from the spending registers.
The minimum age for economic activity in Austria is generally 15 years. The legal basis can be found here: Kinder- und Jugendlichen-Beschäftigungsgesetz 1987 - KJBG)
The main job is determined by a pre-defined rule-set, based on various employment-related attributes, including full or parttime employment as main criteria.
3.4.8. Statistical concepts and definitions - Occupation
Occupation' refers to the type of work done in a job (that is the main tasks and duties of the work). Persons doing more than one job are allocated an occupation based on their main job.
The breakdown by occupation is available for persons aged 15 or over that were:
- employed during the reference week, or
- unemployed during the reference week, but have ever been in employment
Persons are classified according to the occupation they had during their most recent employment. The categories included in the breakdown 'occupation' correspond to the major groups of the ISCO-08 (COM) classification.
Persons under the age of 15 years, as well as persons aged 15 or over that were:
- not economically active during the reference week, or
- unemployed, never worked before (i.e. they have never been employed in their lives)
are classified under 'not applicable'.
The allocation of a person within the breakdowns of the topics 'Occupation', 'Industry' and 'Status in employment' is based on the same job.
3.4.9. Statistical concepts and definitions - Industry
Industry (branch of economic activity) is the kind of production or activity of the establishment (or similar unit) in which the job of a currently economically active person is located.
Persons doing more than one job shall be allocated an industry (branch of economic activity) based on their main job, which is to be identified according to the time spent on the job or (if not available) the income received.
The breakdown by industry is available for persons aged 15 or over that were:
- employed during the reference week, or
- unemployed during the reference week, but have ever been in employment
Persons are classified according to the industry they worked in during their most recent employment. The categories included in the breakdown 'industry' list the 21 sections of the NACE Rev. 2 classification and appropriate aggregates.
Persons under the age of 15 years, as well as persons aged 15 or over that were:
- not economically active during the reference week, or
- unemployed, and have never worked before (i.e. have never been employed in their lives)
are classified under 'not applicable'.
The allocation of a person within the breakdowns of the topics 'Occupation', 'Industry' and 'Status in employment' is based on the same job.
Persons employed in an enterprise abroad, as well as unemployed persons, who held a previous employment in an unknown place of work, are classified under 'not stated'.
3.4.10. Statistical concepts and definitions - Status in employment
An 'employee' is a person who works in a 'paid employment' job, that is a job where the explicit or implicit contract of employment gives the incumbent a basic remuneration, which is independent of the revenue of the unit for which he/she works.
An 'employer' is a person who, working on his or her own account or with a small number of partners, holds a 'self-employment' job and, in this capacity, on a continuous basis (including the reference week) has engaged one or more persons to work for him/her as 'employees'.
If a person is both employer and employee, he/she shall be allocated to only one group according to the time spent on the job or (if not available) the income received.
An 'own-account worker' is a person who, working on his/her own account or with one or a few partners, holds a 'self-employment job' and has not engaged, on a continuous basis (including the reference week), any 'employees'.
A 'contributing family worker' is a person who
- holds a 'self-employment’ job in a market-oriented establishment operated by a related person, living in the same household, and
- cannot be regarded as a partner (that is an employer or own-account worker) because the degree of commitment to the operation of the establishment, in terms of working time or other factors to be determined by national circumstances, is not at a level comparable to that of the head of the establishment.
A 'member of a producers' cooperative' is a person who holds a 'self-employment' job in an establishment organised as a cooperative, in which each member takes part on an equal footing with other members in determining the organisation of production, sales and/or other work, the investments and the distribution of the proceeds among the members.
Additional Meta-Data:
Members of producers' cooperatives are included in self-employed, but cannot be identified within this group.
Persons who were employees and employers at the same time, were allocated according to the rules for the main job.
3.4.11. Statistical concepts and definitions - Place of work
The location of the place of work is the geographical area in which a currently employed person does his/her job.The place of work of those working at home is the same as their usual residence. The term 'working' refers to work done as an 'employed person' as defined under the topic 'Current activity status'.
Persons who do not have a fixed place of work are counted on the legal unit.
3.4.12. Statistical concepts and definitions - Educational attainment
'Educational attainment' refers to the highest level successfully completed in the formal educational system of the country where the education was received. Persons aged 15 years or over are classified under only one of the categories according to their educational attainment (highest completed level). Persons under the age of 15 years are classified under 'not applicable'.
3.4.13. Statistical concepts and definitions - Size of the locality
A locality is defined as a distinct population cluster, that is an area defined by population living in neighbouring or contiguous buildings. Such buildings may either:
- form a continuous built-up area with a clearly recognisable street formation; or
- though not part of such a built-up area, comprise a group of buildings to which a locally recognised place name is uniquely attached; or
- though not meeting either of the above two criteria, constitute a group of buildings, none of which is separated from its nearest neighbour by more than 200 metres.
3.4.14. Statistical concepts and definitions - Place of birth
The country where the birth took place is reported according to the boundaries existing in 2011.
Additional Meta-Data:
If there is no information on place of birth in the registers it remains "unknown" (very few). Place of birth of persons with incomplete information from the CPR is validated by using the information of the other registers.
3.4.15. Statistical concepts and definitions - Country of citizenship
Citizenship is defined as the particular legal bond between an individual and his/her State, acquired by birth or naturalisation, whether by declaration, option, marriage or other means according to the national legislation. A person with two or more citizenships is allocated to only one country of citizenship, to be determined in the following order of precedence: 1. reporting country; or 2. if the person does not have the citizenship of the reporting country: other EU Member State; 3. if the person does not have the citizenship of another EU Member State: other country outside the European Union.
Additional Meta-Data:
Relevant Information on "Recognised Non-Citizens": There is no such category in Austria.
3.4.16. Statistical concepts and definitions - Year of arrival in the country
The year of arrival is the calendar year in which a person most recently established usual residence in the country. The data for 2011 refer to the time span between 1 January 2011 and the reference date.
3.4.17. Statistical concepts and definitions - Residence one year before
This indicates the relationship between the current place of usual residence and the place of usual residence one year prior to the census. Children under one year of age are classified under 'Not applicable'. For all persons that have changed their usual residence more than once within the year prior to the reference date, the previous place of usual residence is the last usual residence from which they moved to their current place of usual residence.
Additional Meta-Data:
The place of usual residence one year prior to the census is derived from the Central Population Register (CPR).
3.4.18. Statistical concepts and definitions - Housing arrangements
The topic 'Housing arrangements' covers the whole population and refers to the type of housing in which a person usually resides at the time of the census. This covers all persons who are usual residents in different types of living quarters, or who do not have a usual residence and stay temporarily in some type of living quarters, or who are roofless, sleeping rough or in emergency shelters, when the census is taken. Occupants are persons with their usual residence in the places listed in the respective category. 'Conventional dwellings' are structurally separate and independent premises at fixed locations which are designed for permanent human habitation and are, at the reference date, either used as a residence, or vacant, or reserved for seasonal or secondary use. 'Separate' means surrounded by walls and covered by a roof or ceiling so that one or more persons can isolate themselves. 'Independent' means having direct access from a street or a staircase, passage, gallery or grounds. 'Other housing units' are huts, cabins, shacks, shanties, caravans, houseboats, barns, mills, caves or any other shelter used for human habitation at the time of the census, irrespective if it was designed for human habitation. 'Collective living quarters' are premises which are designed for habitation by large groups of individuals or several households and which are used as the usual residence of at least one person at the time of the census. 'Occupied conventional dwellings', 'other housing units' and 'collective living quarters' together represent'‘living quarters'. Any 'living quarter' must be the usual residence of at least one person. The sum of occupied conventional dwellings and other housing units represents 'housing units'. The homeless (persons who are not usual residents in any living quarter category) can be persons living in the streets without a shelter that would fall within the scope of living quarters (primary homelessness) or persons moving frequently between temporary accommodation (secondary homelessness).
3.4.19. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of family nucleus
The family nucleus is defined in the narrow sense, that is as two or more persons who belong to the same household and who are related as husband and wife, as partners in a registered partnership, as partners in a consensual union, or as parent and child.
Thus a family comprises a couple without children, or a couple with one or more children, or a lone parent with one or more children.
This family concept limits relationships between children and adults to direct (first-degree) relationships, that is between parents and children. Child (son/daughter) refers to a blood, step- or adopted son or daughter (regardless of age or marital status) who has usual residence in the household of at least one of the parents, and who has no partner or own children in the same household. Foster children are not included.
A son or daughter who lives with a spouse, with a registered partner, with a partner in a consensual union, or with one or more own children, is not considered to be a child.
The term couple includes married couples, couples in registered partnerships, and couples who live in a consensual union.
Married couples include persons in same-sex registered partnerships.
Two persons are considered to be partners in a 'consensual union' when they
- belong to the same household, and
- have a marriage-like relationship with each other, and
- are not married to or in a registered partnership with each other.
'Skip-generation households' (households consisting of a grandparent or grandparents and one or more grandchildren, but no parent of those grandchildren) are not included in the definition of a family.
3.4.20. Statistical concepts and definitions - Size of family nucleus
Total number of resident members of the family nucleus.
3.4.21. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of private household
'Private household' is defined as in the technical specifications for the topic 'Households Status'. The category 'Persons living in a private household' comprises 'Persons in a family nucleus' and 'Persons not in a family nucleus'. The category 'Persons in a family nucleus' comprises all persons who belong to a private household that contains a family nucleus of which they are a member. 'Persons not in a family nucleus' comprises all persons who either belong to a non-family household or to a family household without being member of any family nucleus in that household. A non-family household can be a one-person household ('Living alone') or a multiperson household without any family nucleus. The category 'Not living alone' comprises persons that live either in a multiperson household without any family nucleus or in a family household without being member of any family nucleus in that household. Persons who belong to a skip-generation household and who are not member of any family nucleus in that household shall be classified in the optional category 'Persons living in a household with relative(s)'. The term 'son/daughter' is defined as the term 'child' in the technical specifications for the topic 'Family status'. 'Husband/wife couple' means married opposite-sex couples and registered same-sex partnerships. 'Consensual union' is defined as in the technical specifications for the topic 'Family status'. The category 'Partners' comprises 'Persons in a married couple', 'Partners in a registered partnership' and 'Partners in a consensual union'.
3.4.22. Statistical concepts and definitions - Size of private household
Total number of resident members in the private household.
3.4.23. Statistical concepts and definitions - Tenure status of household
The topic 'Tenure status of households' refers to the arrangements under which a private household occupies all or part of a housing unit.
Households that are in the process of paying off a mortgage on the housing unit in which they live or purchasing their housing unit over time under other financial arrangementsare classified under 'Households of which at least one member is the owner of the housing unit'.
Households of which at least one member is the owner of the housing unit and at least one member tenant of all or part of the housing unit are classified under category 'Households of which at least one member is the owner of the housing unit'.
Additional Meta-Data:
The topic is derived from the topic "Type of ownership".
3.4.24. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of living quarter
'Conventional dwellings' are structurally separate and independent premises at fixed locations which are designed for permanent human habitation and are, at the reference date, either used as a residence, or vacant, or reserved for seasonal or secondary use.
'Separate' means surrounded by walls and covered by a roof or ceiling so that one or more persons can isolate themselves. 'Independent' means having direct access from a street or a staircase, passage, gallery or grounds.
'Other housing units' are huts, cabins, shacks, shanties, caravans, houseboats, barns, mills, caves or any other shelter used for human habitation at the time of the census, irrespective if it was designed for human habitation.
'Collective living quarters' are premises which are designed for habitation by large groups of individuals or several households and which are used as the usual residence of at least one person at the time of the census.
'Occupied conventional dwellings', 'other housing units' and 'collective living quarters' together represent'‘living quarters'. Any 'living quarter' must be the usual residence of at least one person.
3.4.25. Statistical concepts and definitions - Occupancy status
'Occupied conventional dwellings' are conventional dwellings which are the usual residence of one or more persons at the time of the census. 'Unoccupied conventional dwellings' are conventional dwellings which are not the usual residence of any person at the time of the census.
Conventional dwellings with persons present but not included in the census are classified under the category 'Unoccupied conventional dwellings'.
3.4.26. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of ownership
The topic 'Type of ownership' refers to the ownership of the dwelling and not to that of the land on which the dwelling stands.
'Owner-occupied dwellings' are those where at least one occupant of the dwelling owns parts or the whole of the dwelling. 'Cooperative ownership' refers to ownership within the framework of a housing cooperative.
'Rented dwellings' are those where at least one occupant pays a rent for the occupation of the dwelling, and where no occupant owns parts or the whole of the dwelling.
Additional Meta-Data:
Information on dwellings in co-operative ownership cannot be provided because it is not avaiable in the BDR. The BDR includes "co-operative ownership" in the category "rented dwellings".
Housing co-operatives are one type of non-profit housing associations. People do not pay a rent but a fee for using the dwelling (legally spoken). Technically it is the same as a rent.
'Dwellings in other types of ownership': Dwellings which are provided by the employer as income in kind; use of the dwelling free of charge by relatives of the owner, or leasing contracts.
3.4.27. Statistical concepts and definitions - Number of occupants
The number of occupants of a housing unit is the number of people for whom the housing unit is the usual residence.
3.4.28. Statistical concepts and definitions - Useful floor space
Useful floor space is defined as the floor space measured inside the outer walls excluding non-habitable cellars and attics and, in multi-dwelling buildings, all common spaces.
Additional Meta-Data:
Statistics Austria applies the concept of 'useful floor space'
3.4.29. Statistical concepts and definitions - Number of rooms
A 'room' is defined as a space in a housing unit enclosed by walls reaching from the floor to the ceiling or roof, of a size large enough to hold a bed for an adult (4 square metres at least) and at least 2 metres high over the major area of the ceiling.
Additional Meta-Data:
Statistics Austria applies the concept of 'useful floor space'
3.4.30. Statistical concepts and definitions - Density standard (floor space)
The topic ‘Density standard’ relates the useful floor space in square metres or the number of rooms to the number of occupants, as specified under the topic 'Number of occupants'.
Data report on the density standard measured by the 'useful floor space', or, if not possible, by the 'number of rooms'.
Additional Meta-Data:
Statistics Austria applies the concept of 'useful floor space'
3.4.31. Statistical concepts and definitions - Density standard (number of rooms)
The topic ‘Density standard’ relates the useful floor space in square metres or the number of rooms to the number of occupants, as specified under the topic 'Number of occupants'.
Data report on the density standard measured by the 'useful floor space', or, if not possible, by the 'number of rooms'.
Additional Meta-Data:
Statistics Austria applies the concept of 'useful floor space'
3.4.32. Statistical concepts and definitions - Water supply system
Availabiltiy of piped water in the housing unit.
3.4.33. Statistical concepts and definitions - Toilet facilities
Availabitly of a flush toilet in the housing unit.
3.4.34. Statistical concepts and definitions - Bathing facilities
Availability of a bathroom or a shower in the housing unit.
3.4.35. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of heating
A housing unit is considered as centrally heated if heating is provided either from a community heating centre or from an installation built in the building or in the housing unit, established for heating purposes, without regard to the source of energy.
3.4.36. Statistical concepts and definitions - Type of building
The topic 'Dwellings by type of building' refers to the number of dwellings in the building in which the dwelling is placed. A residential building is a building where the useful floor space of the conventional dwellings amount to at least 50 per cent of the total useful floor space of the building (without non habitable cellars, attics and commonly used parts of the building such as storage rooms for bicycles, baby strollers etc.). Farm houses are residential buildings even if the total useful floor space of the dwelling is below 50 per cent of the total floor space of the building.
3.4.37. Statistical concepts and definitions - Period of construction
The topic 'Dwellings by period of construction' refers to the year when the building in which the dwelling is placed was completed.
3.5. Statistical unit
The EU programme for the 2011 population and housing censuses include data on persons, private households, family nuclei, conventional dwellings and living quarters
3.6. Statistical population
Persons enumerated in the 2011 census are those who were usually resident in the territory of the reporting country at the census reference date. Usual residence means the place where a person normally spends the daily period of rest, regardless of temporary absences for purposes of recreation, holidays, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage
3.7. Reference area
Data are available at different levels of geographical detail: national, NUTS2, NUTS3 and local administrative units (LAU2)
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data refer to the situation in the reporting country at the census reference date (see item 5)
3.9. Base period
Counts of statistical units
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Common reminder of EU legislation
Bundesgesetz über die Durchführung von Volks-, Arbeitsstätten-, Gebäude- und Wohnungszählungen (Registerzählungsgesetz) BGBl. I Nr. 33/2006 (register based census law)
6.1.1. Bodies responsible
Statistics Austria
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Restricted from publication7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The data treatment is regulated in the legal basis for the register-based census: BGBl. I Nr. 33/2006.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
The data are compiled from various spending-registers that provide their information. To ensure data privacy protection, the names and the social-security numbers of the individuals are not transmitted to the National Statistic Institute (NSI). Instead, a branch-specific personal identification number for official statistics (bPIN OS) is required before delivering the data to Statistics Austria. Each individual has a unique number. The administrative units get an encrypted version of these bPIN-OS which has to be linked to the data that is sent to Statistics Austria. Hence, only Statistics Austria is able to decode the bPIN-OS and to link the individuals. This is done without names and social security numbers.
The SDC method chosen for the Austrian census is a targeted record swapping approach ("Target Swapping"). We chose swapping because it minimises the risk of disclosure, preserves the additivity and consistency of output tables, is easy to implement and to understand, and it is possible to conduct special analyses outside the Census Hub without changing the results. For those reasons, we also expect a high acceptance from users.
Our method has already been successfully tested for the first time with the Register-based Labour Market Statistics in 2009.
The general approach is as follows:
First, so called risky records are determined from the entire population. Those risky records are persons who are unique or rare in a geographical area (i.e. a municipality) because of their attributes, and could therefore be easily identified in an output table.
There are various attributes that could be considered "sensitive": nationality, highest level of education, status of employment, and so on. By looking at all combinations of those and other selected attributes, the risky records can be found. Depending on how many combinations of attributes they are unique in, a risk score is applied to them. Higher risk scores imply a higher chance of being identified.
Now, a predefined percentage (i.e. the swapping rate) of persons is drawn from the population, primarily choosing those with the highest risk scores. This selection is called "Swapping Partners A".
An equal sized group of "Swapping Partners B" are chosen from the rest of the population, who match the Swapping Partners A in attributes that are not among the sensitive ones.
Certain attributes of each Swapping Partner A are then swapped with those of a matching Swapping Partner B.
Afterwards, the bias is checked with the help of various measurements like the average/relative absolute deviation and others. If the bias is too high, or if there are any inconsistencies, modifications to the swapping process must be made – that means changing the swap rate or choosing different attributes that are being swapped.
Of course, it remains strictly confidential which attributes are swapped, which stay unchanged, and how high the swapping rate is.
8.1. Release calendar
Data are made available 27 months after the end of the reference period (March 2014)
8.2. Release calendar access
8.3. Release policy - user access
All users were informed at the same time, see 10. Dissemination format for further details.
Data on population and housing censuses are disseminated every decade
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Results from the Austrian census are published in various news releases. For a list of news releases see: www.statistik.at/web_en/press/index.html
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
The first results on the population number and some demographic topics were published in December 2011. Twelve printed publications offering results of the Census 2011 were issued in autumn 2013. These brochures have an analytical focus and present the results in a comprehensive way. One publication contains results for Austria as a whole; nine publications focus on the situation of each of the Austrian provinces. Furthermore the results of the Housing Census and the Census of Local Units of Employment were presented in separate brochures.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
The interactive database (STATcube) is the most important way for users to access the results of the Census. Since 2012 Statistics Austria is offering the users the possibility to compile their own tables. As many data of the 2011 Census as possible are integrated in the databases. There are various kinds of access authorizations allowing users to test the databases for free and to retrieve more detailed information if they pay for full access to the database.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Users have two possibilities to access the microdata of the 2011 Census: samples of the data on various topics (employment, migration, family, local units of employment) of the 2011 Census will be drawn. They will be offered to users for free. In addition microdata can be analysed in a safe center at Statistics Austria. For the use of data in the safe center users have to pay for the amount of work for preparing the data for the analysis.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
A methodological article discussing the comparability of the results of the 2001 census and the 2011 census was published in autumn 2013. Furthermore an extensive methodological report will be compiled and offered to users. In addition reports according to the guidelines for the standardized documentation structure at Statistics Austria will be provided.
A new series of reports sent out via email to persons interested in the results of the Austrian census was initiated in 2012. Every six weeks a report covering various analytical and methodological topics of the Austrian census is sent to registered users.
11.1. Documentation on methodology
The docomentation on methodology will be available as soon as it is finished on www.statistik.at.
11.2. Quality management - documentation
The national quality report will be available as soon as it is finished on www.statistik.at.
12.1. Quality assurance
In the whole process the guidelines for Statistics Austria according to the Federal Statistics Act and the register based census law were applied. For the test-census a back-up survey was carried out, the results were statisfactorlily.
12.2. Quality management - assessment
Statistics Austria developed a special quality-framework for the quality assessment of register-based statistics. For the evaluation of the data, four quality-related hyperdimensions are computed. On the register-level a) the quality of the documentation of data b) the usability of the data and c) the validity compared to an external source are assessed by three hyperdimensions. The fourth hyperdimension evaluates the quality of the imputations. A quality-indicator can be derived from these four hyperdimensions. For the combination of the quality-measures and for further details on the comprehensive quality-framework see the documentation on quality assessment.
12.2.1. Coverage assessment
Due to the definition and processing of the register-based census, population under-coverage is not considered to be a problem. This is due to the fact that all people with a main residence in Austria are considered for the Austrian census. However there may be the problem of population over-coverage. The problem arises if former main-residences are not deleted by the municipalities which are responsible for the actuality of the data. Therefore Statistics Austria developed a comprehensive framework to detect and delete these supernumerary cases in two steps. In the first step the inhabitants of questionable main residences are asked to confirm the status of the residence. In the second step the municipalities were asked to bring a confirmation of the questionable residence left from the first step. The main residences which can not be confirmed are not considered for the census. This way about 1% of the initial population was deleted.
12.2.2. Post-enumeration survey(s)
No post-enumeration survey was carried.
13.1. Relevance - User Needs
Counts of statistical units
13.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No user satisfaction surveys are carried out. User inquiries are handled by the Eurostat User Support service.
13.3. Completeness
Depends on the availability of data transmitted by the National Statistical Institutes.
14.1. Accuracy - overall
14.1.1. Accuracy overall - Usual residence
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.2. Accuracy overall - Sex
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.3. Accuracy overall - Age
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.4. Accuracy overall - Marital status
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.5. Accuracy overall - Family status
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.6. Accuracy overall - Household status
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.7. Accuracy overall - Current activity status
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.8. Accuracy overall - Occupation
Information on occupation is only partly available in registers.
14.1.9. Accuracy overall - Industry
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.10. Accuracy overall - Status in employment
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.11. Accuracy overall - Place of work
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.12. Accuracy overall - Educational attainment
Information about the educational attainment of immigrants is only partly available and had to be partly estimated.
14.1.13. Accuracy overall - Size of the locality
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.14. Accuracy overall - Place of birth
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.15. Accuracy overall - Country of citizenship
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.16. Accuracy overall - Year of arrival in the country
There is no information on the year of arrival on persons who immigrated before 2002 from the CPR or from any other register. This could have only been captured in a census using questionnaires.
For 2001 and 2000 the data were imputed. For the majority of the population it is unknown whether they have resided abroad - although most of the persons born abroad must have - and when they immigrated to Austria (non citizens) or returned to Austria (citizens).
14.1.17. Accuracy overall - Residence one year before
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.18. Accuracy overall - Housing arrangements
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.19. Accuracy overall - Type of family nucleus
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.20. Accuracy overall - Size of family nucleus
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.21. Accuracy overall - Type of private household
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.22. Accuracy overall - Size of private household
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.23. Accuracy overall - Tenure status of household
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.24. Accuracy overall - Type of living quarter
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.25. Accuracy overall - Occupancy status
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.26. Accuracy overall - Type of ownership
Changes may not be immediately updated in the Buildings and Dwellings Register.
14.1.27. Accuracy overall - Number of occupants
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.28. Accuracy overall - Useful floor space
Changes due to conversions and/or home improvements might be updated in the Buildings and Dwellings Register with a certain time lag.
14.1.29. Accuracy overall - Number of rooms
Changes due to conversions and/or home improvements might be updated in the Buildings and Dwellings Register with a certain time lag.
14.1.30. Accuracy overall - Density standard (floor space)
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.31. Accuracy overall - Density standard (number of rooms)
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.32. Accuracy overall - Water supply system
Changes due to conversions and/or home improvements might be updated in the Buildings and Dwellings Register with a certain time lag.
14.1.33. Accuracy overall - Toilet facilities
Changes due to conversions and/or home improvements might be updated in the Buildings and Dwellings Register with a certain time lag.
14.1.34. Accuracy overall - Bathing facilities
Changes due to conversions and/or home improvements might be updated in the Buildings and Dwellings Register with a certain time lag.
14.1.35. Overall accuracy - Type of heating
Changes due to conversions and/or home improvements might be updated in the Buildings and Dwellings Register with a certain time lag.
14.1.36. Overall accuracy - Type of building
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.1.37. Overall accuracy - Period of construction
There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic
14.2. Sampling error
14.3. Non-sampling error
16.1. Comparability - geographical
In general the definitions and methods defined by the CES-Recommendations for the 2010 Census of Population and Housing were applied. Therefore the comparability of data is assured.
16.2. Comparability - over time
17.1. Coherence - cross domain
Figures provided by the National Statistical Institutes in the framework of the 2011 Population and Housing Census may differ from those transmitted in other statistical domains due to the cross domain differences in definitions and methodologies used. For additional information please see metadata specific to each domain.
17.2. Coherence - internal
Internal coherence is assured by regulations defining breakdowns and definitions of topics (Regulation (EC) No 1201/2009, Regulation (EU) No 519/2010, Regulation (EU) No 1151/2010)
Due to the method of a register-based census there is no burden for the population. The costs are reduced in comparison to a conventional census and are approximately 9.9 Mio. EUR.
20.1. Source data
20.1.1. List of data sources
20.1.1.1. List of data sources - data on persons
- Central Population Register
- Business Register
- Central Social Security Register
- Tax Register
- Unemployment Register
- Register of Educational Attainment
- Register of Enrolled Pupils & Students
- Buildings and Dwellings Register
- Family allowance register
- Registers of public servants of the federal state and the "Länder" (NUTS2 level)
- Central Foreigner Register
- Register of Social Welfare Recipients
- Register of Alternative Civilian Service
- Conscription Register
- Register of car owners
20.1.1.2. List of data sources - data on households
- Central Population Register
- Central Social Security Register
- Tax Register
- Family allowance register
- Buildings and Dwellings Register
Demography:
- Unemployment Register
- Register of Enrolled Pupils & Students
- Registers of public servants of the federal state and the "Länder" (NUTS2 level)
- Central Foreigner Register
- Register of Social Welfare Recipients
- Register of Alternative Civilian Service
- Conscription Register
20.1.1.3. List of data sources - data on family nuclei
- Central Population Register
- Central Social Security Register
- Tax Register
- Family allowance register
Demography:
- Unemployment Register
- Register of Enrolled Pupils & Students
- Registers of public servants of the federal state and the "Länder" (NUTS2 level)
- Central Foreigner Register
- Register of Social Welfare Recipients
- Register of Alternative Civilian Service
- Conscription Register
20.1.1.4. List of data sources - data on conventional dwellings
- Central Population Register
- Buildings and Dwellings Register
20.1.1.5. List of data sources - data on living quarters
- Buildings and Dwellings Register
20.1.2. Classification of data sources
20.1.2.1. Classification of data sources - data on persons
02.Register-based censuses20.1.2.2. Classification of data sources - data on households
02.Register-based censuses20.1.2.3. Classification of data sources - data on family nuclei
02.Register-based censuses20.1.2.4. Classification of data sources - data on conventional dwellings
02.Register-based censuses20.1.2.5. Classification of data sources - data on living quarters
02.Register-based censuses20.2. Frequency of data collection
Data on population and housing censuses are collected every decade, in a reference year that falls during the beginning of every decade
20.3. Data collection
The register-based census obtains data from eight base registers and seven comparison registers. The base-registers deliver the data, whereas the comparison registers are mainly used for cross-checks. Some registers, like the Housing Register are maintained by Statistics Austria, but the majority of registers is provided by external data holders, like the Public Employment Service. The obligation to maintain the registers and to deliver the data is regulated in the law for the register-based census. Each data holder has to deliver it's records to Statistics Austria, which carries out the data processing.
20.4. Data validation
As data on various topics are provided by several administrative data holders the quality of the attributes enhances due to the principle of redundancy. A special rule set defined by Statistics Austria picks the most appropriate value for the census-micro-database for each individual according to the values in the spending registers. Furthermore plausibility-checks are carried out in the data processing. In the quality assessment a comparison of the spending registers to an external source (micro-census) is carried out and the trustworthiness of the final data is evaluated.
20.5. Data compilation
The data from the various administrative data holders is linked anonymous on individual level by the Personal Identification Numbers for official statistics (bPIN OS). The data holders demand these PINs from the Data Protection Commission (DPC) for each person by delivering the name, sex, date of birth, place of birth and address of an individual. The branch-specific PIN (bPIN) as well as the PIN for official statistics (bPIN OS) are derived from the Source-PIN Register, using a special and very complex algorithm developed by the DPC. The data holders deliver the data, the branch-specific PIN as well es the PIN for official statistics to Statistics Austria. Hence, only Statistics Austria is able to decode the encrypted bPIN OS and to link the data. In the next step a predefined rule-set picks the most appropriate value from the underlying spending registers for each attribute. This way the Central Data Base (CDB) is created. The CDB consists only of observed values, that existed at least in one of the registers at hand. The last part in the process-flow is the Final Data Pool (FDP). In the FDP missing values are imputed. Therefore it consists of observed and estimated values. For further information see the documentation of the register-based census.
20.6. Adjustment
Not available.
The EU programme for the 2011 population and housing censuses include data on persons, private households, family nuclei, conventional dwellings and living quarters
Persons enumerated in the 2011 census are those who were usually resident in the territory of the reporting country at the census reference date. Usual residence means the place where a person normally spends the daily period of rest, regardless of temporary absences for purposes of recreation, holidays, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage
Data are available at different levels of geographical detail: national, NUTS2, NUTS3 and local administrative units (LAU2)
Counts of statistical units
The data from the various administrative data holders is linked anonymous on individual level by the Personal Identification Numbers for official statistics (bPIN OS). The data holders demand these PINs from the Data Protection Commission (DPC) for each person by delivering the name, sex, date of birth, place of birth and address of an individual. The branch-specific PIN (bPIN) as well as the PIN for official statistics (bPIN OS) are derived from the Source-PIN Register, using a special and very complex algorithm developed by the DPC. The data holders deliver the data, the branch-specific PIN as well es the PIN for official statistics to Statistics Austria. Hence, only Statistics Austria is able to decode the encrypted bPIN OS and to link the data. In the next step a predefined rule-set picks the most appropriate value from the underlying spending registers for each attribute. This way the Central Data Base (CDB) is created. The CDB consists only of observed values, that existed at least in one of the registers at hand. The last part in the process-flow is the Final Data Pool (FDP). In the FDP missing values are imputed. Therefore it consists of observed and estimated values. For further information see the documentation of the register-based census.
Data on population and housing censuses are disseminated every decade
All data hypercubes were transmitted at 17/03/2014.
In general the definitions and methods defined by the CES-Recommendations for the 2010 Census of Population and Housing were applied. Therefore the comparability of data is assured.