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Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 11
65189 Wiesbaden
Deutschland

Referat F103

Statistisches Bundesamt

Herrn Johann Szenzenstein
F1 Zensus

Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 11
65189 Wiesbaden
Deutschland

ISCO-08, NACE Rev. 2, etc.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.

For hypercubes/primary marginal distributions enumerated from registers:
The usual residence is determined by the population register. The main or sole place of residence was defined as a person’s usual residence (§ 12 Melderechtsrahmengesetz [Framework Law on Registration]). Invalid entries in the population registers were revised during the course of the census. According to the framework law, individuals had to be entered with their place of residence in the population register if they had stayed or planned to stay at a location for more than six months. For individuals enumerated at special locations during the census survey but not registered in the population register, a stay of at least two months was sufficient to determine the surveyed special location as their usual residence.
Individuals with no fixed abode were only counted if they were registered with a registration authority on the reference date or were staying in a homeless shelter or similar institution and were recorded there by the special location survey.

Individuals to be counted as Germans living abroad are distinguished by the fact that no usual residence within Germany is indicated for them. This group included soldiers, German Federal Police officials and members of a diplomatic mission or consular post, as well as family members living in their household, if the individuals in question were abroad in the service of the supreme Federal authorities (§ 2 Gesetz über den Auswärtigen Dienst [Law on the Diplomatic Service]). These individuals were allocated to a separate region.

For hypercubes/primary marginal distributions extrapolated from the sample:
For proof of ‘usual residence’, use was made of the exception pursuant to Article 2(d) of Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 so that the ‘usual residence’ corresponds to the place of registered residence. The resident population includes all individuals subject to mandatory registration at their sole or main place of residence under the laws on registration, members of the army, police authorities and diplomatic service posted abroad (§ 2 Gesetz über den Auswärtigen Dienst) and their family members living in the same household.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.The basis for the assessment of the legal marital status were the entries permitted under the Law on Registration. The legal basis for marriages is the Civil Code, book four, section one (§ 1297 to § 1588), while the legal basis for registered partnerships is the Lebenspartnerschaftsgesetz [Law on Life Partnerships].

In Germany, the legal age for marriage (when it is legally possible to enter into a marriage of one’s own will) for opposite-sex marriage is the age of majority. However, under § 1303, section 2-4 of the Civil Code, it is possible to marry from the age of 16, on condition that the other partner has already reached the age of majority and the competent family court has granted an exemption from the age-of-majority requirement. Divorce and marriage annulment are governed by § 1564 to § 1568 of the Civil Code and § 133 to § 150 of the Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit [Law on proceedings in family matters and matters subject to non-contentious proceedings].

Same-sex registered partnerships can be entered into from the age of majority. Partnerships can be annulled by court order at the request of one or both partners. A court can order the annulment of a partnership if:

1. the partners have lived separately for a year and

a) both partners have requested an annulment or the defendant agrees to the annulment or

b) there is no prospect of a reconciliation,

2. one partner requests an annulment and the partners have lived separately for three years,

3. the continuation of the partnership would constitute an unreasonable hardship for the applicant for reasons relating to the other partner.

The court can also annul a partnership if there was a lack of consent on the part of one partner as described in § 1314, section 2, Nos 1 to 4 of the Civil Code; § 1316, section 1, No 2 of the Civil Code applies accordingly.

A marriage can only be entered into by two individuals of opposite sex. Conversely, a registered partnership is only open to two individuals of the same sex. Therefore nothing was entered for the optional subcategories of the characteristic ‘Legal marital status’.

No information was available on the marital status of German members of the armed forces and diplomats posted abroad, or their family members, so for this characteristic they were classified as ‘Not stated’.

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. A child who alternates between two households (for instance if his or her parents are divorced) shall consider the one where he or she spends the majority of the time as his or her household. Where an equal amount of time is spent with both parents the household shall be the one where the child is found at the time on census night.
The term couple shall include married couples, couples in registered partnerships, and couples who live in a consensual union.
Registered partnerships are reported only by countries that have a legal framework regulating partnerships that:
(a) lead to legal conjugal obligations between two persons;
(b) are not marriages;
(c) prevent persons to commit themselves into multiple partnerships with different partners.
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.

Household generation

Household and family characteristics were obtained using an automated procedure: information from the population registers and the comprehensive building and housing census was automatically collated to comprehensively generate households. This ‘household generation’ has the benefit of making household and family information – including for very small areas – available without any additional collection of characteristics. Generating households entails: firstly, collecting individuals into families and households by address (which includes establishing the relationships between the members of the family/household), and secondly, linking households with actual dwellings at the address in question.

As a result, the German census represents residential households (household-dwelling concept). This is consistent with the EU guidelines, but does result in lower comparability at national level, for example with Germany’s annual Mikrozensus, as this looks at economic households (housekeeping concept). For the EU, in line with the guidelines, household generation only takes into account individuals with a sole or main dwelling, whereas in the German definition individuals with secondary residences are also included (i.e. under the German definition of a household, an individual may belong to several households at the same time).

All economic topics were surveyed as part of the household survey on a sampling basis (household sample). ‘Current activity status’ was determined by means of various questions in the household sample questionnaire. In doing so, the criteria in the definition were taken into account and the current activity status was determined on the basis of the respondents’ answers. The minimum age for the current economically active population was set as 15. For unemployed individuals, a time limit was introduced, beyond which individuals were classed as ‘unemployed, never worked before’. This time limit is 10 years. Therefore, only individuals whose most recent employment was no more than 10 years ago are classed as ‘Unemployed, previously in employment‘. The 10-year time limit described above was also used for the characteristics ‘Occupation’, ‘Industry (branch of economic activity)’ and ‘Status in employment’. This means that all characteristics are only shown for employed or unemployed individuals whose most recent employment was no more than 10 years ago. Therefore, all individuals who are not economically active or who are unemployed, whose most recent employment was more than 10 years ago or who have never worked in exchange for payment are classified under ‘Unemployed, never worked before’.

All economic topics were surveyed as part of the household survey on a sampling basis (household sample). For unemployed individuals, a time limit was introduced, beyond which individuals were classed as ‘unemployed, never worked before’. This time limit is 10 years. Therefore, only individuals whose most recent employment was no more than 10 years ago are classed as ‘Unemployed, previously in employment‘.

The 10-year time limit described above was also used for the characteristics ‘Occupation’, ‘Industry (branch of economic activity)’ and ‘Status in employment’. This means that all characteristics are only shown for employed or unemployed individuals whose most recent employment was no more than 10 years ago. Therefore, all individuals who are not economically active or who are unemployed, whose most recent employment was more than 10 years ago or who have never worked in exchange for payment are classified under ‘Not applicable’.

The characteristic ‘Occupation’ was surveyed as a free text entry, allocated to a list of occupational titles and coded to  the highest level of the international classification (1-digit ISCO-08 code).

All economic topics were surveyed as part of the household survey on a sampling basis (household sample). For unemployed individuals, a time limit was introduced, beyond which individuals were classed as ‘unemployed, never worked before’. This time limit is 10 years. Therefore, only individuals whose most recent employment was no more than 10 years ago are classed as ‘Unemployed, previously in employment‘.

The 10-year time limit described above was also used for the characteristics ‘Occupation’, ‘Industry (branch of economic activity)’ and ‘Status in employment’. This means that all characteristics are only shown for employed or unemployed individuals whose most recent employment was no more than 10 years ago. Therefore, all individuals who are not economically active or who are unemployed, whose most recent employment was more than 10 years ago or who have never worked in exchange for payment are classified under ‘Not applicable’.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.

All economic topics were surveyed as part of the household survey on a sampling basis (household sample). possible to use register-based data for this purpose.

The characteristic ‘Status in employment’ was surveyed using a list. Several categories were grouped together under ‘Employee’. Individual definition criteria were not surveyed for this purpose.

For unemployed individuals, a time limit was introduced, beyond which individuals were classed as ‘unemployed, never worked before’. This time limit is 10 years. Therefore, only individuals whose most recent employment was no more than 10 years ago are classed as ‘Unemployed, previously in employment‘.

The 10-year time limit described above was also used for the characteristics ‘Occupation’, ‘Industry (branch of economic activity)’ and ‘Status in employment’. This means that all characteristics are only shown for employed or unemployed individuals whose most recent employment was no more than 10 years ago. Therefore, all individuals who are not economically active or who are unemployed, whose most recent employment was more than 10 years ago or who have never worked in exchange for payment are classified under ‘Not applicable’.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.

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 mostly 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’. ‘Mostly’ working at home means that the person spends all or most of the time working at home, and less, or no, time in a place of work other than at home.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.

'Educational attainment' refers to the highest level successfully completed in the educational system of the country where the education was received. All education which is relevant to the completion of a level is taken into account even if this was provided outside schools and universities.
Persons 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'.

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:
(a) form a continuous built-up area with a clearly recognisable street formation; or
(b) 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
(c) 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.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.Information on the place of birth from the population registers was used to determine the country/place of birth, rather than the mother’s usual residence at the time of the birth. The country of birth is reported on the basis of international boundaries existing on 1 January 2011. If a country of birth existed at the time of birth, but not at the time of the census, or if the boundaries have changed, the place of birth was used to achieve a clear allocation based on the boundaries existing on 1 January 2011. For individuals whose country of birth no longer existed at the time of the census and for whom it was not possible to achieve an allocation using the place of birth, the former country was used. The classification ‘Yugoslavia’ also includes individuals born in the former Yugoslav successor states (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia including Kosovo). Individuals born in an Asian country that cannot be allocated to any of the other Asian classifications are grouped under ‘Other Asian countries’. The classification ‘Outside any country’ and all further ‘Other‘ classifications have not been used.

In the population registers, nation-state citizenship codes are used to designate the country of birth. There are no separate codes for dependent territories, so it was not possible to evaluate these separately. This applies to data on the following countries of birth (in lieu thereof reported country of birth in brackets).

- British dependent territories (country of birth: United Kingdom):
Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Sark, Saint Helena, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, Pitcairn.

- French dependent territories (country of birth: France):
Mayotte, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin (northern part), Saint Pierre and Miquelon, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna Islands.

- Danish dependent territories (country of birth: Denmark):
Faroe Islands, Greenland.

- Netherlands dependent territories (country of birth: Netherlands):
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Martin (southern part).

No data on country/place of birth is available for German members of the armed forces and diplomats posted abroad, or their family members. These individuals are indicated with ‘Not stated’.

For individuals not contained in the revised population register, there were three different approaches. If the individuals were included in the special locations survey, data on country/place of birth from the survey were used. Country of birth was imputed for data records created by the statistical correction of the population register. All other individuals included in a primary statistical survey who were not contained in the revised population register were classified as ‘Not stated’.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.

For hypercubes/primary marginal distributions primarily enumerated from registers:

Citizenship data from the population registers were sorted in accordance with the EU Regulation, so that if an individual has multiple citizenship German citizenship always appears first, followed by citizenship of an EU Member State. Individuals entered in the population register as citizens of a country that no longer existed at the time of the census and for whom it was not possible to determine an unambiguous successor state were classified as ‘Not stated’ if there was no other known citizenship and the country in question was not a European country. Citizens of former European countries were classified under ‘Other European country – Other’.

In the population registers, information on citizenship is entered using citizenship codes. Dependent territories are not recorded separately. There are no individual citizenship entries for the following dependent territories. The in lieu thereof recorded citizenship is shown in brackets.

- British dependent territories (citizenship: British):
Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Sark, Saint Helena, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, Pitcairn.

- French dependent territories (citizenship: French):
Mayotte, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin (northern part), Saint Pierre and Miquelon, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna Islands.

- Netherlands dependent territories (citizenship: Dutch):
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Martin (southern part).

The citizenship of German members of the armed forces and diplomats posted abroad, or their family members, is always recorded as ‘citizenship of reporting country’.

For individuals not included in the revised population register but surveyed during the primary statistical surveys, the information on citizenship was taken from the relevant survey. Citizenship was imputed for data records created by the statistical correction of the population register.

The classification ‘Recognised non-citizens’ was not used.

For hypercubes/primary marginal distributions extrapolated from the sample:

Citizenship was reported in the household survey using a question with simple options for which multiple answers were permitted. For foreign citizenship, data were collected on whether the individual was an EU or a non-EU national. The entries in the population register were subsequently used in the processing phase to obtain more detailed data. If the relevant information was not available in the population register or there were discrepancies with the data in the household survey, detailed citizenship was imputed.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.

For hypercubes/primary marginal distributions primarily enumerated from registers:
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.

The following should be noted as regards the comparability of the topics (characteristics) between the published hypercubes:

Hypercubes, containing at least one characteristic from the ‘household sample’ data source were entirely calculated by extrapolating the characteristic classifications of the sample persons, rather than using both, sample and enumeration results. Thereby inconsistencies within the hypercubes could be avoided. In other words, for these hypercubes, the sample findings were not only used for those characteristics exclusively available from the sample but also for those characteristics available from the ‘register’ data source. This applies to the demographic characteristics which were also collected in the household sample, in addition to the actual ‘population register’ data source.

The usual residence one year prior to the census enumeration was determined using the entries in the population registers. For that purpose the arrival date, the country of previous residence and the municipality code of the place of arrival were evaluated. Only the last date of arrival was reported, given that it has occurred within one year prior to the reference date. Persons who have moved only within a municipality (LAU-2), are reported in the category "usual residence unchanged". An exception to this rule are people whose previous place of residence was in the current municipality of residence, but who were temporarily not registered (de-registrations). These people were reported as moving within the NUTS-3 area, if the re-registration was within one year before the reference date and if they were captured. Thereby, it’s also possible to  report people under this category in the administrative regions (NUTS-2) and districts (NUTS-3) which consist of only one municipality (LAU-2).For the expatriated German armed forces, diplomats and their families and for all those who were not included in the adjusted population register, but were interviewed in the sample survey, the usual residence one year prior to the census was considered as "Not stated". An imputation of the usual place of residence one year before the enumeration was made only for those records which were generated by the statistical correction of the population register.

For hypercubes/primary marginal distributions extrapolated from the sample:

The usual residence one year before the reference date was not asked in the sample survey. For those people surveyed, the entries in the population register regarding their usual place of residence on year before the reference date were used in the processing phase of the survey data to obtain information on this characteristic. If the relevant information was not available in the population register, this characteristic is missing.

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).

Individuals with no fixed abode were only counted if they were registered with a registration authority on the reference date or were staying in a homeless shelter or similar institution and were recorded there by the special location survey.

Information from the population registers and the comprehensive building and dwelling census carried out as a postal survey of owners was collated using an automated procedure to comprehensively generate households. This ‘household generation’ has the benefit of making household and family information – including for very small areas – available without any additional collection of characteristics.

Generating households entails: firstly, collecting individuals into families and households by address, and secondly, linking households with actual dwellings at the address in question. As a result, the German census only represents residential households.

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. A child who alternates between two households (for instance if his or her parents are divorced) shall consider the one where he or she spends the majority of the time as his or her household. Where an equal amount of time is spent with both parents the household shall be the one where the child is found at the time on census night.
The term couple shall include married couples, couples in registered partnerships, and couples who live in a consensual union.
Registered partnerships are reported only by countries that have a legal framework regulating partnerships that:
(a) lead to legal conjugal obligations between two persons;
(b) are not marriages;
(c) prevent persons to commit themselves into multiple partnerships with different partners.
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.

Information from the population registers and the comprehensive building and dwelling census carried out as a postal survey of owners was collated using an automated procedure to comprehensively generate households. This ‘household generation’ has the benefit of making household and family information – including for very small areas – available without any additional collection of characteristics.

Generating households entails: firstly, collecting individuals into families and households by address, and secondly, linking households with actual dwellings at the address in question. As a result, the German census only represents residential households.

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. A child who alternates between two households (for instance if his or her parents are divorced) shall consider the one where he or she spends the majority of the time as his or her household. Where an equal amount of time is spent with both parents the household shall be the one where the child is found at the time on census night.
The term couple shall include married couples, couples in registered partnerships, and couples who live in a consensual union.
Registered partnerships are reported only by countries that have a legal framework regulating partnerships that:
(a) lead to legal conjugal obligations between two persons;
(b) are not marriages;
(c) prevent persons to commit themselves into multiple partnerships with different partners.
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.

Information from the population registers and the comprehensive building and dwelling census carried out as a postal survey of owners was collated using an automated procedure to comprehensively generate households. This ‘household generation’ has the benefit of making household and family information – including for very small areas – available without any additional collection of characteristics.

Generating households entails: firstly, collecting individuals into families and households by address, and secondly, linking households with actual dwellings at the address in question. As a result, the German census only represents residential households.

Private households may be defined according to the 'housekeeping concept' , or, if this is not possible, Member States may apply the 'household-dwelling' concept.
1. Housekeeping concept
According to the housekeeping concept, a private household is either:
(a) A one-person household, that is a person who lives alone in a separate housing unit or who occupies, as a lodger, a separate room (or rooms) of a housing unit but does not join with any of the other occupants of the housing unit to form part of a multiperson household as defined below; or
(b) A multiperson household, that is a group of two or more persons who combine to occupy the whole or part of a housing unit and to provide themselves with food and possibly other essentials for living. Members of the group may pool their incomes to a greater or lesser extent.
2. Household-dwelling concept
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 house­ holds 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 a married opposite-sex couple.
'Registered partnership' is defined as in the technical specifications for the topic 'Legal marital status'. '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'.
'Primary homeless persons' are persons living in the streets without a shelter that would fall within the scope of living quarters as defined in the technical specifications for the topic 'Type of living quarters'.

Information from the population registers and the comprehensive building and dwelling census carried out as a postal survey of owners was collated using an automated procedure to comprehensively generate households. This ‘household generation’ has the benefit of making household and family information – including for very small areas – available without any additional collection of characteristics.

Generating households entails: firstly, collecting individuals into families and households by address, and secondly, linking households with actual dwellings at the address in question. As a result, the German census only represents residential households.

Private households may be defined according to the 'housekeeping concept' , or, if this is not possible, Member States may apply the 'household-dwelling' concept.
1. Housekeeping concept
According to the housekeeping concept, a private household is either:
(a) A one-person household, that is a person who lives alone in a separate housing unit or who occupies, as a lodger, a separate room (or rooms) of a housing unit but does not join with any of the other occupants of the housing unit to form part of a multiperson household as defined below; or
(b) A multiperson household, that is a group of two or more persons who combine to occupy the whole or part of a housing unit and to provide themselves with food and possibly other essentials for living. Members of the group may pool their incomes to a greater or lesser extent.
2. Household-dwelling concept
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 house­ holds 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 a married opposite-sex couple.
'Registered partnership' is defined as in the technical specifications for the topic 'Legal marital status'. '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'.
'Primary homeless persons' are persons living in the streets without a shelter that would fall within the scope of living quarters as defined in the technical specifications for the topic 'Type of living quarters'.

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'.

'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.

In the German census model, the allocation of occupants to the dwellings occurs during the processing phase ‘household generation’. The occupied dwellings reported in the building and dwelling census were allocated individuals/households using an automated procedure. It was not always possible to allocate a household to a dwelling reported in the building and dwelling census as occupied. The occupancy status of any dwellings reported as occupied but not linked with any occupants is classified as ‘Unoccupied’. They have no household characteristics (NOC, DFS). However, these units should not all simply be interpreted as ‘Vacant’. These may instead be discrepancies caused by the way the data were collected: the dwelling owner may have reported in the survey that the dwelling was ‘Rented’, even though in reality the occupants had already moved out. The dwelling is therefore not actually occupied, but is also not available to the market – unlike a dwelling that is truly vacant.

The information collected on type of ownership in the German census model corresponds largely to the EU definitions. The form of ownership ‘Housing co-operative’, which is common in some regions of Germany, was classified as ‘co-operative ownership’, even though these dwellings are generally classified as ‘Rented’ in Germany. Since the tenants of the dwellings in a housing co-operative are also co-owners of the co-operative’s total housing stock, ‘co-operative ownership’ was deemed the most appropriate classification. All dwellings were allocated to one of the first three classifications. ‘Other types of ownership’ did not occur.

The number of occupants of a housing unit is the number of people for whom the housing unit is the usual residence.

In Germany, the floor space of a dwelling is a widely known measurement and is always indicated in rentals and sales. Every occupant or owner of a dwelling knows the floor space of his/her dwelling(s). For Germany, therefore, the useful floor space (UFS) is indicated, rather than the number of rooms. The floor space is determined as follows according to the calculation methods set out in German law: the sum of the floor space of all rooms (including hall, corridor, entry hall, vestibule, bathroom, shower room, toilet, larder, etc.) of a dwelling. The dwelling includes living areas located outside the limits of the dwelling (e.g. attics) and attic and cellar space converted for residential purposes. The living space is calculated as follows:

- in full: the floor space of rooms/parts of rooms with at least two metres’ headroom;

- half: the floor space of rooms/parts of rooms with at least one metre of headroom but less than two meters, areas under sloped ceilings; unheated conservatories, swimming pools and similar fully enclosed rooms;

- generally one quarter, but maximum one half: the floor space of balconies, loggias, roof gardens.

To calculate the DFS, this floor space is divided by the number of individuals allocated to this dwelling.

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 6 square metres at least, including kitchens.

The topic ‘Density standard’ relates the useful floor space in square metres to the number of occupants, as specified under the topic 'Number of occupants'.

Not applicable.

In Germany, there are almost no buildings without a water supply system. This characteristic was therefore not included in the survey. Instead, WSS=1 was imputed across the board.

Flush toilet in the dwelling.

Fixed bath or shower in the dwelling.

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.

The topic 'Dwellings by type of building' refers to the number of dwellings in the building in which the dwelling is placed.

The topic 'Dwellings by period of construction' refers to the year when the building in which the dwelling is placed was completed.

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)

Data refer to the situation in the reporting country at the census reference date (see item 5)

Counts of statistical units

EU-Verordnungen:

• Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on population and housing censuses
• Commission Regulation (EC) No 1201/2009 of 30 November 2009 implementing Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses as regards the technical specifications of the topics and of their breakdowns
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 519/2010 of 16 June 2010 adopting the programme of the statistical data and of the metadata for population and housing censuses provided for by Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 1151/2010 of 8 December 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses, as regards the modalities and structure of the quality reports and the technical format for data transmission

Nationale Gesetze:

• Zensusvorbereitungsgesetz 2011 (BGBl. I S.2808)
• Zensusgesetz 2011 (BGBl. I S. 178)
• Stichprobenverordnung Zensusgesetz 2011 (BGBl. I S. 830)

Gesetze der Bundesländer:

Baden-Württemberg

• Gesetz zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 vom 29. Juli 2010

Bayern

• Bayerisches Statistikgesetz, Abschnitt V (Sonderregelungen für die Durchführung des Zensus 2011) vom 23. Juli 2010

Berlin

• Gesetz zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 im Land Berlin vom 1. Dezember 2010

Brandenburg

• Gesetz zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 im Land Brandenburg (Brandenburgisches Zensusausführungsgesetz - ZensusAGBbg) Vom 22. September 2010

Bremen

• Gesetz zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 vom 5. Oktober 2010

Hamburg

• Hamburgisches Gesetz zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 vom 6. April 2010

Hessen

• Hessisches Ausführungsgesetz zum Zensusgesetz 2011 vom 23. Juni 2010

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

• Gesetz zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern vom 17. Mai 2010

Niedersachsen

• Niedersächsisches Ausführungsgesetz zum Zensusgesetz 2011 vom 6. Oktober 2010

Nordrhein-Westfalen

• Ausführungsgesetz des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen zum Zensusgesetz 2011 vom 16. November 2010

Rheinland-Pfalz

• Landesgesetz zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 vom 28. September 2010

Saarland

• Gesetz Nr. 1713 zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 vom 16. Juni 2010

Sachsen

• Gesetz zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 im Freistaat Sachsen vom 23. September 2010

Sachsen-Anhalt

• Ausführungsgesetz des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt zum Zensusgesetz 2011 vom 8. Juli 2010

Schleswig-Holstein

• Gesetz zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 vom 12. Oktober 2010

Thüringen

• Thüringer Gesetz zur Ausführung des Zensusgesetzes 2011 vom 26. Juni 2010

The 2011 census was carried out by the Federal Statistical Office, the 14 statistical offices in the Länder and the local authorities. Survey offices were set up locally by the rural districts, urban districts or municipalities.

Not available.

Confidentiality - policy

The 2011 German census micro data are covered by statistical confidentiality pursuant to § 16 of the Bundesstatistikgesetz [Federal Law on Statistics]. It must therefore be ensured that it is not possible to identify individuals from the published tables.

Confidentiality - data treatment

Germany uses two methods to ensure the statistical confidentiality of the 2011 census, depending on the form of data collection:

a) data from parts of the survey carried out as a full census (all evaluations with exclusively demographic characteristics, building and dwelling numbers and household and family information), or

b) data extrapolated from a household sample (evaluations such as education, employment, etc.).

For a) primary marginal distributions from parts of the survey carried out as a full census:

Tables created by simply enumerating the data material are kept confidential using the SAFE[1] (secure anonymisation of micro data) method. SAFE prevents the identification of individual statistical units (people, buildings, dwellings, families, households) by slightly modifying the micro data. To do so, SAFE changes the data in such a way that each combination of characteristics that appears in the original data (e.g. age, sex, marital status, employment information, etc.) appears at least three times or not at all in the confidential data set.

These changes are made in a controlled manner, so that they largely cancel each other out. This ensures that discrepancies in the central evaluation tables (including all primary marginal distributions of Regulation (EU) No 519/2010) are minimised and that all the important statistics produced are reliable.

However, SAFE is not applied to the official population figures themselves (total population figures for municipalities), which are calculated and published using the original data.

For b) primary marginal distributions from a household sample:

For sample results, confidentiality is ensured in principle by rounding the results. This rounding is not carried out primarily for the purposes of confidentiality, but rather to take into account random errors. To make it clear that the extrapolated results are merely estimates and not precisely determined frequencies, the figures presented are rounded to a multiple of 10.

Moreover, individual results are flagged if they are considered statistically unreliable. This is determined firstly by the number of people surveyed who contributed to the extrapolated result and secondly by their (approximately determined) probability of selection for the sample.

For results composed of an enumerated partial result and an extrapolated partial result the number of enumerated individuals is used. This information is used to approximate the relative standard error of the extrapolated result (as a measure of its statistical reliability). If the estimated error exceeds 15 %, the result is flagged as ‘unreliable’.

Taken together, the combination of random error, rounding and flagging of statistically unreliable values ensures sufficient confidentiality for extrapolated results.

[1] Höhne, J. (2011) ,‘ SAFE – A method for anonymising the German Census ‘, paper presented at the Joint UNECE/Eurostat work session on statistical data confidentiality, Tarragona, Spain, 26-28 October 2011, available at http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/stats/documents/ece/ces/ge.46/2011/16_Germany.pdf

Data are made available 27 months after the end of the reference period (March 2014)

User access - According to item 4 of Annex II to Reg. 1151/2010, Member States should report on "the conditions for access to the data and metadata they make available from their 2011 censuses of population and housing, including on those relating to media, support, documentation, pricing policies, and/or any restrictions". 

Data on population and housing censuses are disseminated every decade

Press releases

On the initial publication of the results:

https://www.destatis.de/EN/PressServices/Press/pr/2013/05/PE13_188_121.html

On the final publication of the results:

https://www.destatis.de/EN/PressServices/Press/pr/2014/06/PE14_193_125.html

https://www.destatis.de/EN/PressServices/Press/pr/2014/06/PE14_190_31.html

https://www.destatis.de/EN/PressServices/Press/pr/2014/05/PE14_189_133.html

https://www.destatis.de/EN/PressServices/Press/pr/2014/05/PE14_185_122.html

Publications on the census:

https://www.zensus2011.de/DE/Infothek/Publikationen/Publikationen_node.html

Analysis database

Since the completion of processing, the data and results of the 2011 German census have been stored in a central database and made available for analysis. This database has a public and an internal area.

The public area of the census database is a platform that enables all users to access the German census data via the internet. Via the URL https://ergebnisse.zensus2011.de/, the public can access a wide range of analyses at different regional levels (NUTS 1-3, LAU 1-2) in both German and English. Access is provided to pre-prepared results tables with the key findings of the 2011 German census, and an interactive area is also available. In the interactive area, users can create individual analyses of different combinations of characteristics using a pre-defined set of data blocks. These analyses can be exported in different formats (pdf, xls, csv) for further processing.

The public area also includes maps, in which statistical indicators at LAU 2, NUTS 3 and NUTS 1 level display the results of the 2011 census.

In addition to the freely accessible database services, the most important census results on buildings and dwellings and on population have been published and made available for download in selected cross-tabulations that bring together the key results of the 2011 census broken down by administrative region (from municipalities, associations of municipalities, rural districts, government regions and Länder right through to national level).

Micro-data access

Additional analyses can be carried out in an internal area of the census database by officials at the Federal Statistical Office and the statistical offices in the Länder. Scientists and researchers can also access the micro data under certain conditions of security and confidentiality through the federal and Länder research data centres.

Other

In addition to the opportunities to access the census data and results listed under points 10.2 to 10.4, a series of publications on selected topics have been issued by the federal and Länder statistical offices as joint publications.

Supporting documentation for the census can be found at https://www.zensus2011.de/DE/Infothek/Infothek_node.html

Quality documentation - According to item 1.3 of Annex I to Reg. 1151/2010, Member States shall provide "references to other relevant documentation (e.g. national quality reports)". This entry is optional.

Not available.

A repeat survey was carried out to assess the quality of the sampling results as regards the official population figures in municipalities with at least 10 000 inhabitants. To this end, 5 % of the addresses selected during the household sample in municipalities with at least 10 000 inhabitants were surveyed again.

A shorter version of the questionnaire for the household survey was used. The primary statistical survey was also carried out by interviewers.

Part of survey: household survey (sample survey)

A repeat survey was carried out to assess the quality of the sampling results as regards the official population figures in municipalities with at least 10 000 inhabitants. To this end, 5 % of the addresses selected during the household sample in municipalities with at least 10 000 inhabitants were surveyed again.

A shorter version of the questionnaire for the household sample was used. The primary statistical survey was also carried out by interviewers.

The census data disseminated by Eurostat are addressed to policy makers, researchers, media and the general public.

No user satisfaction surveys are carried out. User inquiries are handled by the Eurostat User Support service.

Depends on the availability of data transmitted by the National Statistical Institutes

There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic

There are no particular reasons for data unreliability for this topic.

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All hypercubes were made available to Eurostat on 31 March 2014.

see 3.4

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.

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)

In order to reduce costs and increase acceptance among the population, the federal and Länder statistical offices developed an alternative design and its viability was assessed using a variety of tests. Using sample surveys, the administrative registers and files to be used for the census were checked to ensure they were suitable for the purposes of statistics and the procedures for collation and household generation were tested. Subsequently, based on the successful outcomes of the tests, it was possible to draw up the methodological guidelines to achieve the required census results.

The federal government and the Committee of Interior Ministers and Senators of the Länder therefore decided to change methodology from a traditional, primary statistical full census to mainly register-based data collection.

Data revision - practice - As requested by item 3(2) of Annex II to Reg. 1151/2010: "The following information has to be provided for the national level: […] calendar date(s) of major revision(s) of the transmitted data, broken down by hypercubes". Member States shall …

List of data sources - data on persons

Population register,

Sample survey,

Federal Employment Agency register and

Public service personnel register,

Conventional enumeration in special areas (institutions, etc.)

Data sources for the ‘household’ statistical units:

Combining data from the other data sources using an automated procedure (household generation).

Data sources for the ‘families’ statistical units:

Combining data from the other data sources using an automated procedure (household generation).

Original data source for the statistical unit ‘dwelling’:

Housing census

The statistical unit ‘dwelling’ was also modified in some topics during household generation (i.e. Topic Occupancy Status " occupied/unoccupied").

Data on living quarters:

Housing Census

Conventional enumeration in special areas (institutions, etc.)

Data on population and housing censuses are collected every decade, in a reference year that falls during the beginning of every decade

To implement the EU-wide census, Germany opted for a register-based method instead of the full census used in the past.

Use of register data

In Germany, the requirement to register means that all local authorities have population registers available containing comparable information. In addition, the Federal Employment Agency holds information on all employed individuals subject to social security payments and all individuals registered as unemployed or looking for work. Finally, the public-sector employers were able to provide data on public officials, judges and soldiers.

However, this administrative information contains no data on education, profession or housing. Information on the economic activity of certain groups (such as the self-employed) can also not be found in registers. There is no comprehensive register information on buildings and dwellings in Germany.

Supplementary surveys

The building and dwelling census was carried out as a full census:

Around 19 million owners or administrators of houses and apartments were sent a postal survey.

The household survey was conducted on a sampling basis:

Around 10 % of the population was covered by the household survey. The respondents were selected using a statistical mathematic random procedure. Initially, addresses were selected at random. Subsequently, all the individuals living at these addresses on 9 May 2011 were interviewed.

Following the survey, this information was then extrapolated for the entire population of each municipality, thus providing reliable data for both the municipalities and the whole of Germany.

At 5 % of the addresses where the household survey was carried out, the occupants were surveyed a second time several weeks after the first interview. This repeat survey was carried out by different interviewers using a questionnaire shortened to only a few characteristics, and only took place in municipalities with at least 10 000 inhabitants.

The survey in residential homes and other forms of collective accommodation was carried out as a full census:

The 2001 census test and the 1987 population census showed that the population registers are particularly inaccurate for residential homes and other forms of collective accommodation. Therefore, in order to reliably determine the population of municipalities and urban districts, in the 2011 census data were collected on all residents of residential homes and other forms of collective accommodation. This information was used to correct the data from population registers on the reference date.

Household generation

Household relationships were formed from the individual parts of the survey in a separate procedure known as household generation. This was done using information taken directly from the registers and from the analysis of the dwelling occupant data.

Part of survey: household survey (sample survey)

A repeat survey was carried out to assess the quality of the sampling results as regards the official population figures in municipalities with at least 10 000 inhabitants. To this end, 5 % of the addresses selected during the household sample in municipalities with at least 10 000 inhabitants were surveyed again.

A shorter version of the questionnaire for the household sample was used. The primary statistical survey was also carried out by interviewers.

Part of survey: housing census (full census)

The non-response rate was in line with expectations. It was not possible to collect data from respondents for around 5.5 % of all buildings. In these cases the data had to be imputed or, if this was not possible, the property was visited by a municipal interviewer (see section 3.3.1).

Part of survey: household survey (sample survey)

First, the questionnaires were digitalised. Once these images were available (bit images), they were read-in, interpreted and if necessary edited manually. Free text entries were then digitally signed, with the exception of the ‘occupation’ characteristic. Then the personal data from the electronic survey list (list of all individuals whose existence at a sample address had been confirmed) and the read-in documents were collated. After the exclusion of the questionnaires for which no one in the electronic survey list had been registered at the relevant address during the confirmation of existence phase, the remaining total data sets had to be checked for plausibility. The data sets were checked for missing or implausible entries. Any errors identified were made plausible using deterministic imputation or a donor imputation method. For all processing steps, corresponding quality marks were set to enable the analysis of case numbers and so forth.

When processing questionnaires from the online survey, the initial digitalisation step was not performed.

Coding the ‘occupation’ characteristic:

The household survey of the 2011 census conducted on a sampling basis was set as the data source for the collection of information on occupation . The information on occupation was entered as free text.

First, the free text entries were automatically coded. A software-based comparison of occupation information was carried out using an alphabetical index. Then the occupation information that could not be coded automatically was coded manually using a computer.

Part of survey: special areas (full census)

The paper questionnaires were scanned and the images saved. Part of the documentation was not intended for scanning from the very start (e.g. questionnaires for sensitive special areas), while others could not be fully processed using the scanning method. In these cases the information was entered manually by the Länder statistical offices.

Actually processing the data involved the following steps: collating questionnaires and electronic survey lists, comparing with and linking to the population registers, checking for duplication, determining residential status, checking plausibility/imputation and finally transmitting the data to the reference data set. The procedures differed slightly according to the collection method (sensitive or non-sensitive special areas, barracks).

The plausibility of the data was checked in two stages: first the data sets were run through the test program for the information on housing conditions and for demographic characteristics and then – if the special area address was also a sample address – the test program for the additional characteristics from the characteristics catalogue for the household sample.
In the IDEV online procedure, an initial plausibility test for formal correctness was already applied during data entry. The Länder statistical offices thus received data already tested for plausibility, but which nevertheless still underwent the additional standard plausibility testing during the data processing phase.

In the plausibility tests performed by the Länder statistical offices, a simple imputation was already carried out for missing characteristics categories using the data from the electronic survey list. If this was not possible, the information was taken from the population register. This meant that all that remained for the actual imputation process step were only those personal data sets that represented missing entries (undercoverage). For these, a national frequency distribution was created for each type of area, as soon as a sufficiently high number of returns had been received. This was then used to impute the data.

Household generation

Household and family characteristics were obtained using an automated procedure: information from the population registers and the comprehensive building and housing census carried out as a postal survey of owners was automatically collated to comprehensively generate households. This ‘household generation’ has the benefit of making household and family information – including for very small areas – available without any additional collection of characteristics. It is therefore the ideal tool for obtaining statistical information on households as part of the German census.

Generating households entails: firstly, collecting individuals into families and households by address, and secondly, linking households with actual dwellings at the address in question. As a result, the German census represents residential households. This is consistent with the EU guidelines, but does result in lower comparability at national level, for example with Germany’s annual Mikrozensus, as this looks at economic households. For the EU, in line with the guidelines, household generation only takes into account individuals with a sole or main dwelling, whereas in the German definition individuals with secondary residences are also included (i.e. under the German definition of a household, an individual may belong to several households at the same time).
Statistical register revision (correction) for over- and under-coverage, the scale and structure of which has been estimated from the sampling survey, is also carried out as part of household generation. While doing so, it was ensured that the deletions and imputations in the register data for individuals did not distort household structures.

Household generation takes place in a number of steps as described below:

Step 1: Formation of first household relationships from register information - pointers

The population register contains links (pointers) between individuals. These links provide unambiguous information about specific relationships between two registered individuals. The link can be a marriage between two individuals of the opposite sex or a registered partnership between two individuals of the same sex. Alternatively, the link can be a parent-child relationship or another form of legal agency, whereby children are normally only linked until they reach their 18th birthday.

These links from the population register are used to generate the first multi-person households. After this step, each person on the register is allocated to a provisional household (if no links exist they are allocated to a single-person household), which can change at any stage of the household generation process.

Step 2: Evaluation of dwelling occupant information and first links between households and dwellings

To create links between the dwellings recorded in the building and dwelling census and individuals, an automated comparison is carried out of name fields from the two parts of the survey, which is known as the automated name comparison. To this end, the names of two occupants for each residential unit were requested during the building and dwelling census.

Step 3: Formation of additional household relationships from register information - references

Register information on individuals was used to obtain evidence of further household bonds. This leads to the generation of non-registered partnerships or grandparent-child relationships in addition to traditional household structures. For example, non-registered partnerships are recognised using information on marital status, moving-in date and residential address.

Step 4: Allocation of households to dwellings or existing households according to statistical generation criteria

The remaining unlinked occupied dwellings at an address are allocated to the households at this address not yet linked to a dwelling. This is done using statistical criteria, including on the basis of the household structures extrapolated from the sample.

Step 5: Classifying the households generated

All the households and families created during household generation and the individuals within them are given three different classifications for the following characteristics: type of household, size of household, individual status within the household, type of family nucleus, size of family nucleus, individual status within the family.

Part of survey: building and dwelling census (full census)

Data plausibility testing was carried out primarily through an automated procedure. For each building, it was checked whether the data transmitted were complete and consistent (i.e. plausible). If this was not the case, any errors had to be corrected and missing information added (imputation).

Missing and incorrect characteristics (item non-response) were corrected by:

deterministic imputation, where correction is carried out using unambiguous relationships between plausible and missing/incorrect characteristics.

imputation according to the nearest-neighbour principle using CANCEIS (Canadian Census Edit and Imputation System), an imputation software developed by Statistics Canada.

A number of dwellings missing entirely in buildings were imputed with CANCEIS.

If there was no data for an entire building (unit non-response), it was checked whether a neighbouring building could be used for imputation. The condition for imputation of this type was that the missing building had to be in an area where the buildings are fairly uniform. In these areas (e.g. in detached housing areas), it was assumed that the missing building had similar or identical building and dwelling characteristics to the buildings in the immediate vicinity. In these cases the imputation was based on a neighbouring building.

If the area around the missing building was not uniform, imputation was not possible. In this case the property had to be visited by a municipal interviewer to collect the most important building characteristics.