Digital population and housing census – the experience of Serbia

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to present the experience of the Republic of Serbia in conducting the 2022 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings, focusing on the employment, legal framework and financing of the census as well as on its successful implementation. It discusses strategic decisions on data collection and the integration of information technology – including geospatial data, data collection techniques, machine learning, record linkage and monitoring system – to overcome the challenges posed by the census. The paper addresses the census undercoverage, explores the use of administrative data for item imputation, and examines the development of a statistical population register. The study demonstrates the benefits of adopting a digital-census approach: significant improvement of accuracy, cost reduction and acquired expeditiousness. The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia conducted a digital census combined with traditional methods, excluding self-enumeration, along with the use of administrative data for item imputation, and recommends this approach as the most effective way to obtain precise and comprehensive information about a population, including its demographic characteristics, geographic distribution and overall size.