All registered residents of Poland (both Polish and foreign citizens) have until the end of September to complete the national census form. Those who fail to do so could be fined up to 5,000 zloty (€1,100).
The census – the first since 2011 – was launched at the beginning of April and covers such issues as level of education, economic activity, ethnic and cultural identity, and living conditions. It can be completed either by the individual online or by an official after a telephone call or visit.
People wishing to fill in the form online should visit the dedicated website and then log on using either their individual Polish identification number (PESEL), a so-called “Trusted Profile”, an e-ID card, or internet banking.
Non-Poles without a PESEL can also do so by entering their email address and creating a password. Both foreigners living in Poland permanently and those with temporary residence in the country are obliged to complete the census. So are Poles currently abroad but with residency (zameldowanie) in Poland.
Adults should answer the census questions themselves, while children should have forms filled in for them by their parents or guardians. One adult may also complete the form for other adults living in the same household with their consent.
Those yet to complete the form online can expect a telephone call or visit from a census official who will ask them the questions and fill it in on their behalf. Once that official has attempted to make contact with an individual, it becomes too late to follow the online route.
Anyone who refuses to take part in the census or does not make themselves available for the interview may be fined up to 5,000 zloty. The same penalty also applies to people giving false information.
Karolina Banaszek of Statistics Poland (GUS), the government body responsible for carrying out the census, told TVN that more than 80 reports had already been filed on people refusing to comply with the survey.
“This is the most important study that we do once every 10 years,” she explained. “This study gives us grounds for estimating the population balance. It is a kind of photograph of our society. The data we collect help us to construct a frame for research and making strategic decisions.”
Five months after the launch of data collection, 23.2 million people (or 60.6% of those obliged to) had already participated in the 2021 census, reports Gazeta.pl.
Data on participation rates vary by region. Almost two thirds of the population (66%) in the Podkarpackie and Opole provinces had filled in the form by the end of August, whereas in Lubuskie Province the figure was just over 56%.
In Poland's last national census a decade ago, 96% of respondents said they were Catholic.
This time, activists are asking people to consider more carefully the answer they give, in the hope of creating a more accurate picture of Poland's religious makeup https://t.co/bDgqW1JUbs
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) April 19, 2021
Main image credit: Urząd Statystyczny/Twitter
Ben Koschalka is a translator and senior editor at Notes from Poland. Originally from Britain, he has lived in Kraków since 2005.
