Bulgaria to Hold Census in Febr 2011, 1st Time Online

Bulgaria's Parliament has voted to hold the decennial population census in February 2011.

The census was originally planned to take place in March 2011 but on Thursday, the Parliament approved legislation for the census of population and households saying that the process should be completed from February 1 to February 28, 2011.

For the first time Bulgaria will hold online census – that will be the first phase of the census taking place from February 1 till February 9, 2011.

The census questionnaire will be available for those choosing to fill it online on the website of the National Statistical Institute. From February 10 till February 28, 2011, census takers will visit households, homes, and buildings.

The proclaimed goal of the decennial census is to collect full, exact, and adequate information about the condition of the population, economy, and society which are to be used to draft strategic documents for the development of the country – a National Program for Development "Bulgaria 2020" and a new 5-year plan for the absorption of EU funds – 2013-2017.

The opposition Socialist Part has criticized the ruling center-right GERB party for moving the census 40 days earlier saying the organization for the census might not be well established in time to meet the new deadlines.

A total of 40 000 census takers will participate in the survey. The candidates for that will be recruited by January 15, 2011.

The new legislation provides for a BGN 120 fine to anybody who refuses to provide census information to the authorities.

The information from the census is also expected to be taken into account when drawing the lists with eligible voters for the 2011 local and presidential elections. Experts have warned for years that the existing lists contain the names of many persons who are dead or have emigrated, which creates conditions for electoral fraud.

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