Page 23 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 1

IPS30 Diana B.
2) maintain (initially) an independent position of the census in the society,
developing the traditional census through the use of new technologies
and other innovations.
Statistics Estonia has decided to increase the use of administrative
registers for statistical purposes. The target is still to prepare for a register-
based census using an information technology solution to maximise
automated data collection.
For a register-based census in Estonia, a number of conditions must be
met at national level, the most important of which are listed below:
1) availability of a population register of sufficient quality at least at the
local level;
2) availability of building and dwelling registers of sufficient quality at
least at the local level;
3) availability of sufficiently high-quality registers or databases that allow
determining economic activity of the population (tax, pension, social
protection and employment service registers as well as business
register);
4) a link between the various registers and databases, which requires the
adoption of different identifiers (identifiers for persons, families,
households, dwellings and buildings);
5) a legislative basis supporting the creation and continuous updating of
the registers, providing access to registers for the production of
statistics and the right to combine data from different data sources;
6) adequate harmonisation of register and census concepts, i.e. with the
aim that the definitions of register and census characteristics are not
significantly different;
7) good cooperation between the producers of statistics and
administrative bodies.
It is clear that registers can be of high quality when people accept the need
for their data to be held in registers and that this is useful and necessary for
them. However, the trusting relationship between citizens and the state is not
as strong in transition countries (Central and Eastern European countries)
compared to e.g. the Nordic countries (Puur, 2013). The management of high-
quality registers requires sufficient financial resources for the continuous
development and updating of the registers.

Chapter 1
Preparation for the register-based census in Estonia in 1996-2008
The possibility of a register-based census in Estonia has been considered
since 1996. In general terms, it can be said that the problem is as old as the
national registers of Estonia. The issues that have been discussed more are the
use of standards (address data, classifications) and that registers lack

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