Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
DG ESTAT, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
F2, Population and Census
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
11 July 2022
2.2. Metadata last posted
11 July 2022
2.3. Metadata last update
11 July 2022
3.1. Data description
Key data presented on population of Ukrainian citizen based on the 2021 census round data.
Separate tables cover:
- Ukrainian citizen by sex and single and major age groups at NUTS and NUTS 3 level.
- Ukrainian citizen by sex, age groups and by educational attainment.
- Ukrainian citizen by sex, age groups and by current activity status.
- Ukrainian citizen by sex, age groups and by legal marital status.
- Ukrainian citizen by sex, age groups and by year of arrival and residence one year before.
- Ukrainian citizen by sex, age groups and by household status.
3.2. Classification system
Classifications are defined and listed in the census legislation for 2021 census round.
- EU and EP Reg. 763/2008 (L 218/14 du 13 August 2008)
The following classification systems should be used:
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS 2021)
International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED-2011)
Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE Rev 2)
3.3. Coverage - sector
Population (Ukrainian citizen) by sex and age;by educational attainment, by current activity status, by household status, by legal marital status, by year of arrival and residence one year before.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Data collected under definitions of:
1. “Usual place of residence”, which is 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.The following persons alone shall be considered to be usual residents of the geographical area in question:
(i)those who have lived in their place of usual residence for a continuous period of at least 12 months before the reference date
(ii)those who arrived in their place of usual residence during the 12 months before the reference date with the intention of staying there for at least one year.
Where the circumstances described in point (i) or (ii) cannot be established, ‘usual residence’ shall mean the place of legal or registered residence.
2.”Sex “refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women.
3.The “age” reached in completed years at the census reference date.
4.”Marital status” is defined as the (legal) conjugal status of an individual in relation to the marriage laws (or customs) of the country (that is the de jure status).
A person shall be classified according to his/her most recently acquired legal marital status at the reference date.
In Member States where the legislation includes provisions for married partners or partners in registered partnership to be ‘legally separated’, such ‘legally separated’ persons are classified under ‘Married or in registered partnership’
5.”Households” are identified using the ‘housekeeping concept’ or, if not possible, using the ‘household- dwelling concept’.
5.1 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.
5.2 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.
6.”Current activity status” is the current relationship of a person to economic activity, based on a reference period of one week, which may be either a specified, recent, fixed, calendar week, or the last complete calendar week, or the last seven days prior to enumeration
7.”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.
8.The “year of arrival” is the calendar year in which a person most recently established usual residence in the country.
The data for 2021 refer to the time span between 1 January 2021 and the reference date.
9.”Citizenship” is defined as the particular legal bond between an individual and his/her with Ukraine, acquired by birth or naturalization, whether by declaration, option, marriage or other means according to the national legislation
10.” Residence one year before” .The relationship between the current place of usual residence and the place of usual residence one year prior to the census.
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.
3.5. Statistical unit
In the data presented here, only "Persons" (individuals), "Private households."
3.6. Statistical population
"Place of usual residence" is the geographic place where the enumerated person usually resides. ie. 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.In certain cases, residence may be defined in different ways, in particular according to the place of legal or registered residence.
Only those persons:
who have lived in their place of usual residence for a continuous period of at least twelve months before Census Day; or
who have arrived in their place of usual residence during the twelve months before Census Day with the intention of staying for at least one year
should be considered as usual residents of the relevant geographic or administrative subdivision.
3.7. Reference area
Census 2021
European Union 27 Member States, European Free Trade Association Member States (4)
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data, where available, relate to the censuses undertaken in the census round 2021. The exact census dates differ between countries.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of persons.
The data relate to the specific census dates set in each country.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Census 2021, The Council of the European Union and the European Parlaiment have adopted in 2008 the Regulation (EC) N. 763/2008 on Population and Housing Census containing the concepts to be used in the census exercises. Regulation (EC) N. 763/2008 lists all the topics to be covered in census exercises which are: geographic, demographic, economic and educational characteristics of persons, internatioanal and internal migration characteristics as well as household, family and housing characteristics.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
None.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Prior to sending data to Eurostat, national data suppliers assess the data for potential statistical disclosure risks and undertake any necessary confidentiality actions to avoid disclosure.
Decisions regarding disclosure risk and the selection and implementation of disclosure control methods rest with the national data suppliers.
8.1. Release calendar
No fixed release calendar here.
2021 census exercise is over. The main route for the dissemination of the 2021 census data is the "Census Hub" online platform that will allow tables to be defined by users. The Census Hub is planned to come into operation in April 2024 when it will be fully stocked with data.
However, national data providers have already disseminated much of the census 2021 results at national level on their respective websites.
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see point 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
No updates will be provided because not applicable for this collection.
Census data are accessible in micro-data form, e.g. for researchers at national level in EU and EFTA countries.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Member States shall provide "references to other relevant documentation (e.g. quality reports)" by the end of March 2024.
Member States may report on the conditions for access to the data and metadata they make available from their 2021 censuses of population and housing, including on those relating to media, support, documentation, pricing policies, and/or any restrictions.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
EU legislation on the 2021 Population and Housing Censuses - Explanatory notes.Eurostat.2019.
List national reference metadata files, methodological papers, summary documents will be published at end of March 2024.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Quality documentation of census data will be available on the 31 March 2024.
11.1. Quality assurance
Done at Member State level.
National Statistical Offices have to ensure that the census statistical practices used are compliant with the census methodological requirements .
Eurostat will monitor the compliance of Member States with the legal requirementsin 2024.. The compliance monitoring is based on detailed documentation, analysis of census data.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Census quality assessment takes place at national level.
Eurostat has prepared a 2021 census quality framework that is intended to help national data providers to assess and report in a comparable way on the quality of the data provided for the EU census.
Overall assessment of census data quality, based on national standard quality criteria.
Procedures to ensure quality assessment, as requested by Regulation 2017/881, Annex point 3.3.2
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The European Commission, mandated to deliver the responsibilities in the context of the adverse impact of the Ukrainian war, and to provide an overview of the consequences of war to work out a relevant urgent policy. The data collection seeks to elicit preliminary information on population structure of Ukrainians in EU before war.
Only a limited range of tables was selected in order to provide a user-friendly set of data adapted to the interest of potential users.The focus of these tables is on presenting detail of data on the Ukrainian citizens inside EU and EFTA countries.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No information.
12.3. Completeness
The completeness of the data varies between countries as it was declared voluntary ad hoc data collection.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Not available yet. Information will be delivered in 2024.
13.2. Sampling error
Not available yet. Information will be delivered in 2024.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not available yet. Information will be delivered in 2024.
14.1. Timeliness
This data collection provides timely data on Ukrainians living in the EU before war. This is a one-off to provide timely data (T+1) on Ukrainians living in the EU.
14.2. Punctuality
Census data should be delivered by 31.March 2024.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
National differences in the census methodologies, definitions and concepts used may impact on the comparability of data from different countries. However, detailed information about the extent of this is not generally available until 31st of March in 2024.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Over time, countries have made changes to the census methodologies and data sources, as well as to the basic concepts and definitions used. These changes will impact on the comparability of data over time.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Not available.
15.4. Coherence - internal
No information is available on any significant inconsistencies between the data sets.
Census outputs should be internally consistent, if statistical outputs within the data set in question are not consistent, any lack of coherence in the output of the statistical process itself should be stated as well as a brief explanation of the reasons for publishing such results in 2024.
No revisions or updates are forseen for this data collection.
18.1. Source data
Data sources used for the production of 2021 census data.
The data sources and basic census methodologies differ between countries and between different census rounds. Three main approaches may be defined, although there are detailed differences in terms of how these approaches are implemented:
The "traditional" census, with enumeration based on questionnaires with interviews of respondents by enumerators or self-compilation of forms by respondents; The "Register based" census which enumerates the population on the basis of administrative sources of information. Data collection is based on the use of registers (population registers, registers of buildings and dwellings, geographical co-ordinates, school registers, social security, tax, business and company registers). To ensure provision of all of the data required by the census operation, it is often necessary for data from different administrative sources to be linked - for example, combining data on individuals from a population register with data on the relevant dwelling taken from as buildings register; The "mixed" or “combined” census based on a combination of traditional; census enumeration techniques and/or sample surveys and/or administrative data sources. (See Regulation (EC) 763/2008, Article 4)
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Not applicable.
18.3. Data collection
The statistics presented here were compiled by national statistical institutes as part of their decennial census exercises and were supplied to Eurostat for European-level compilations of census data.
18.4. Data validation
The data used in these tables have been validated by national data providers before supply to Eurostat.
18.5. Data compilation
Member States will provide report at the end of March 2024.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
The codes are used in the database : If not available due to confidentiality reasons or data is provisional.
Key data presented on population of Ukrainian citizen based on the 2021 census round data.
Separate tables cover:
- Ukrainian citizen by sex and single and major age groups at NUTS and NUTS 3 level.
- Ukrainian citizen by sex, age groups and by educational attainment.
- Ukrainian citizen by sex, age groups and by current activity status.
- Ukrainian citizen by sex, age groups and by legal marital status.
- Ukrainian citizen by sex, age groups and by year of arrival and residence one year before.
- Ukrainian citizen by sex, age groups and by household status.
11 July 2022
Data collected under definitions of:
1. “Usual place of residence”, which is 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.The following persons alone shall be considered to be usual residents of the geographical area in question:
(i)those who have lived in their place of usual residence for a continuous period of at least 12 months before the reference date
(ii)those who arrived in their place of usual residence during the 12 months before the reference date with the intention of staying there for at least one year.
Where the circumstances described in point (i) or (ii) cannot be established, ‘usual residence’ shall mean the place of legal or registered residence.
2.”Sex “refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women.
3.The “age” reached in completed years at the census reference date.
4.”Marital status” is defined as the (legal) conjugal status of an individual in relation to the marriage laws (or customs) of the country (that is the de jure status).
A person shall be classified according to his/her most recently acquired legal marital status at the reference date.
In Member States where the legislation includes provisions for married partners or partners in registered partnership to be ‘legally separated’, such ‘legally separated’ persons are classified under ‘Married or in registered partnership’
5.”Households” are identified using the ‘housekeeping concept’ or, if not possible, using the ‘household- dwelling concept’.
5.1 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.
5.2 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.
6.”Current activity status” is the current relationship of a person to economic activity, based on a reference period of one week, which may be either a specified, recent, fixed, calendar week, or the last complete calendar week, or the last seven days prior to enumeration
7.”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.
8.The “year of arrival” is the calendar year in which a person most recently established usual residence in the country.
The data for 2021 refer to the time span between 1 January 2021 and the reference date.
9.”Citizenship” is defined as the particular legal bond between an individual and his/her with Ukraine, acquired by birth or naturalization, whether by declaration, option, marriage or other means according to the national legislation
10.” Residence one year before” .The relationship between the current place of usual residence and the place of usual residence one year prior to the census.
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.
In the data presented here, only "Persons" (individuals), "Private households."
"Place of usual residence" is the geographic place where the enumerated person usually resides. ie. 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.In certain cases, residence may be defined in different ways, in particular according to the place of legal or registered residence.
Only those persons:
who have lived in their place of usual residence for a continuous period of at least twelve months before Census Day; or
who have arrived in their place of usual residence during the twelve months before Census Day with the intention of staying for at least one year
should be considered as usual residents of the relevant geographic or administrative subdivision.
Census 2021
European Union 27 Member States, European Free Trade Association Member States (4)
The data relate to the specific census dates set in each country.
Not available yet. Information will be delivered in 2024.
Number of persons.
Member States will provide report at the end of March 2024.
Data sources used for the production of 2021 census data.
The data sources and basic census methodologies differ between countries and between different census rounds. Three main approaches may be defined, although there are detailed differences in terms of how these approaches are implemented:
The "traditional" census, with enumeration based on questionnaires with interviews of respondents by enumerators or self-compilation of forms by respondents; The "Register based" census which enumerates the population on the basis of administrative sources of information. Data collection is based on the use of registers (population registers, registers of buildings and dwellings, geographical co-ordinates, school registers, social security, tax, business and company registers). To ensure provision of all of the data required by the census operation, it is often necessary for data from different administrative sources to be linked - for example, combining data on individuals from a population register with data on the relevant dwelling taken from as buildings register; The "mixed" or “combined” census based on a combination of traditional; census enumeration techniques and/or sample surveys and/or administrative data sources. (See Regulation (EC) 763/2008, Article 4)
No updates will be provided because not applicable for this collection.
This data collection provides timely data on Ukrainians living in the EU before war. This is a one-off to provide timely data (T+1) on Ukrainians living in the EU.
National differences in the census methodologies, definitions and concepts used may impact on the comparability of data from different countries. However, detailed information about the extent of this is not generally available until 31st of March in 2024.
Over time, countries have made changes to the census methodologies and data sources, as well as to the basic concepts and definitions used. These changes will impact on the comparability of data over time.
