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.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
F2: Population and migration
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
15 July 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
15 July 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
15 July 2024
3.1. Data description
This is a dedicated data collection implemented on a voluntary basis, based on agreement between Eurostat and the national statistical institutes of the EU Member States. This data collection concerns persons eligible to vote in the 2024 European Parliament elections.
The 2024 European Parliament elections took place on 6-9 June 2024. This dataset shows national estimates of the number of eligible voters; it does not show the number of persons who used their rights to vote.
Given the high public interest, Eurostat launched a dedicated data collection to receive the available or estimated statistics from the competent National Authorities.
The organisation of the 2024 European Parliament elections is under national responsibility. This includes the preparation of electoral lists. Regarding the data on eligible voters, according to Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2018/994 of 13 July 2018, each Member State shall designate a contact authority responsible for exchanging data on voters with its counterparts in the other Member States.
3.2. Classification system
The following categories of eligible voters are distinguished: total eligible voters and first time eligible voters.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Two variables regarding the number of eligible voters for the 2024 European Parliament elections in each Member State are collected: total number of persons eligible to vote in the reporting country and total number of persons eligible to vote in the reporting country for the first time.
For further information on the population eligible to vote for the European Parliament elections please see COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 93/109/EC.
3.5. Statistical unit
Person.
3.6. Statistical population
Number of eligible voters in the European Parliament elections held on 6-9 June 2024.
3.7. Reference area
The statistics are disseminated by single Member State of the European Union.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The data concerns the European Parliament elections held on 6-9 June 2024.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable
The statistical unit is the person. Data are disseminated as integer numbers.
This dataset shows national estimates of the number of eligible voters in the European Parliament elections held on 6-9 June 2024. Each Member State decided on which specific date during this period to hold elections.
The following countries held the 2024 European Parliament elections on the specified date between 6 and 9 June 2024 (a country can hold elections on more than one day):
6 June 2024: the Netherlands.
7 June 2024: Czechia, Ireland.
8 June 2024: Czechia, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Slovakia.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Data are transmitted to Eurostat on a voluntary basis.
For most of the Member States, data are provided by the National Statistical Institutes, in cooperation with national authorities responsible for the elections.
For Ireland, data are provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
For Lithuania, data are provided by the Central Electoral Commission.
For Netherlands, data are provided by Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Election teams.
For Poland, data are provided by the Ministry of Digitalization.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Not applicable.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not applicable.
8.1. Release calendar
- 1st round (deadline for countries to transmit to Eurostat: 15 January 2024):
Disseminating two variables regarding the number of eligible voters: total and first time eligible voters. These data are preliminary and estimated.
- 2nd round (deadline for countries to transmit to Eurostat: 30 April 2024):
Collecting similar data as those requested for the first round, however, with improved accuracy.
- 3rd round (deadline for countries to transmit to Eurostat: 21 June 2024):
Collecting similar data as those requested for the previous rounds, however, with improved accuracy.
Data will be released by Eurostat only after the country coverage for the total number of eligible voters is complete and plausibility is checked.
Please note that the label for Germany in the GEO code list changed from the beginning of July 2023 in Eurostat dissemination tables. The new label is now: ‘Germany’. Previously, it was ‘Germany (until 1990 former territory of the FRG)’.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not applicable.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
See Annex 1, sheets "Data compilation" and "Statistical processing".
10.7. Quality management - documentation
See Annex 1, sheets "Data validation" and "Accuracy".
Eurostat has received requests from the services of the European Parliament and the Commission on the number of eligible voters in the European Parliament 2024 elections. European demographic statistics do not have the information necessary to determine the population eligible to vote according to COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 93/109/EC due to missing details. Available demographic statistics at EU level do not contain this information and only allow for the computation of very rough estimates, therefore it was decided to launch a dedicated data collection.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not applicable.
12.3. Completeness
Statistical data completeness depends on the availability of raw data transmitted by the competent National Authorities. All EU Member States provided their data on the total number of eligible voters. 23 EU Member States also provided their data on the number of first time eligible voters.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Overall accuracy is considered good, given the reliability of the data sources used by the competent national authorities, such as electoral registers, population registers and information from the population and housing censuses.
Several data providers have made comparisons with information from past elections and demography statistics to assess the overall accuracy of the figures, and Eurostat performed additional data quality checks comparing the figures with demographic ones.
For additional details, see Annex 1, sheets "Data validation" and "Accuracy".
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
For timeliness of data release see 8.1 Release calendar.
14.2. Punctuality
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The data collection is based on harmonised definitions.
Cross-country comparability may be affected by the following:
The use of different data sources, such as their electoral registers, population registers and information from the population and housing censuses.
Different population bases of the data sources used as a result of the different primary purpose of the data source (administrative or statistical).
Different dates when the data source was updated, and different dates of extraction of the data.
Differences in the methodology used to derive the number of eligible voters at the time of the 2024 European Parliament elections (population projections, simpler estimation methods, extraction without data transformation).
For details on the national implementations, see Annex 1.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
European demographic statistics do not have the information necessary to determine the population eligible to vote according to COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 93/109/EC due to missing details.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not applicable.
Given the EU added value and the importance of the European Parliament elections, all Member States committed to contribute on a voluntary basis to this dedicated data collection.
17.1. Data revision - policy
The general Eurostat policy will apply to this dedicated data collection. Eurostat will update the data as soon as Member States submit updates.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Whenever new data are provided and validated, the already disseminated data are updated. Revisions are published continuously as soon as received by Eurostat.
18.1. Source data
Member States used different data sources, depending on the quality and availability, mostly electoral registers, population registers and information from the population and housing censuses. For details, see Annex 1, sheet "Data sources".
18.2. Frequency of data collection
This is an ad hoc data collection that is implemented in different rounds of data collection. For details, see 8.1 Release calendar.
18.3. Data collection
This is a dedicated data collection aiming to make available information on the number of eligible voters in the 2024 European Parliament elections.
18.4. Data validation
Eurostat received pre-checked data from Member States that carried out quality checks of the metadata and, when possible, compared the reported data to information on past elections and demography statistics. Regarding data validation implemented nationally, see Annex 1, sheet "Data validation".
Eurostat checked the transmitted data and metadata. Plausability checks were applied to the data. The number of eligible voters was compared with the demographic figures to establish the overall plausibility while being aware that the concepts and population coverage are different.
18.5. Data compilation
The data compilation differed between Member States depending on the sources and methods used. The countries using the electoral registers provided data mostly without transformations, while the countries using population registers or population and housing censuses more often estimated or projected the data. For details, see Annex 1, sheets "Data compilation" and "Statistical processing".
18.6. Adjustment
While the adjustments applied depend on the compilation method, most countries adjusted the age of persons to obtain who reached the age giving the right to vote according to the national legislation. For details, see Annex 1, sheets "Data compilation" and "Statistical processing".
This is a dedicated data collection implemented on a voluntary basis, based on agreement between Eurostat and the national statistical institutes of the EU Member States. This data collection concerns persons eligible to vote in the 2024 European Parliament elections.
The 2024 European Parliament elections took place on 6-9 June 2024. This dataset shows national estimates of the number of eligible voters; it does not show the number of persons who used their rights to vote.
Given the high public interest, Eurostat launched a dedicated data collection to receive the available or estimated statistics from the competent National Authorities.
The organisation of the 2024 European Parliament elections is under national responsibility. This includes the preparation of electoral lists. Regarding the data on eligible voters, according to Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2018/994 of 13 July 2018, each Member State shall designate a contact authority responsible for exchanging data on voters with its counterparts in the other Member States.
15 July 2024
Two variables regarding the number of eligible voters for the 2024 European Parliament elections in each Member State are collected: total number of persons eligible to vote in the reporting country and total number of persons eligible to vote in the reporting country for the first time.
For further information on the population eligible to vote for the European Parliament elections please see COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 93/109/EC.
Person.
Number of eligible voters in the European Parliament elections held on 6-9 June 2024.
The statistics are disseminated by single Member State of the European Union.
This dataset shows national estimates of the number of eligible voters in the European Parliament elections held on 6-9 June 2024. Each Member State decided on which specific date during this period to hold elections.
The following countries held the 2024 European Parliament elections on the specified date between 6 and 9 June 2024 (a country can hold elections on more than one day):
6 June 2024: the Netherlands.
7 June 2024: Czechia, Ireland.
8 June 2024: Czechia, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Slovakia.
Overall accuracy is considered good, given the reliability of the data sources used by the competent national authorities, such as electoral registers, population registers and information from the population and housing censuses.
Several data providers have made comparisons with information from past elections and demography statistics to assess the overall accuracy of the figures, and Eurostat performed additional data quality checks comparing the figures with demographic ones.
For additional details, see Annex 1, sheets "Data validation" and "Accuracy".
The statistical unit is the person. Data are disseminated as integer numbers.
The data compilation differed between Member States depending on the sources and methods used. The countries using the electoral registers provided data mostly without transformations, while the countries using population registers or population and housing censuses more often estimated or projected the data. For details, see Annex 1, sheets "Data compilation" and "Statistical processing".
Member States used different data sources, depending on the quality and availability, mostly electoral registers, population registers and information from the population and housing censuses. For details, see Annex 1, sheet "Data sources".
See 8.1 Release calendar.
For timeliness of data release see 8.1 Release calendar.
The data collection is based on harmonised definitions.
Cross-country comparability may be affected by the following:
The use of different data sources, such as their electoral registers, population registers and information from the population and housing censuses.
Different population bases of the data sources used as a result of the different primary purpose of the data source (administrative or statistical).
Different dates when the data source was updated, and different dates of extraction of the data.
Differences in the methodology used to derive the number of eligible voters at the time of the 2024 European Parliament elections (population projections, simpler estimation methods, extraction without data transformation).
For details on the national implementations, see Annex 1.
