Census gets under way after pandemic delays
From Monday, Luxembourg residents have one month to provide information on their housing and income situation in the national census that takes place every 10 years and determines political representation and funding for communes.
The census, carried out by statistics agency Statec, does not only track how many people reside in Luxembourg but also provides authorities with an overview of people's income and housing situation. This determines future funding for local schools, hospitals, care and retirement homes, and also sets the number of representatives per council.
Every household should send in just one form, which is available in five languages - Luxembourgish, German, French, English and Portuguese. Answers will be treated confidentially, Statec said.
It is mandatory for residents to take part in the national survey, which this year can be done electronically on guichet.lu between 8 and 28 November or in paper form between 22 November and 5 December. Abstaining from the census or knowingly providing false information can result in a fine of up to €2,500.
Originally, the census was scheduled to take place in February but was delayed twice due to the pandemic. At the last count in 2011, 634,700 people lived in the Grand Duchy.
The first census dates back to 1766 when Luxembourg was under Austrian rule and was carried out on the orders of Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. Exactly 255 years ago Luxembourg was more than three times its current size and home to 224,094 people.
(Additional reporting by Maximilan Richard)
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