Statistics NZ will employ nearly double the number of field staff for the 2023 Census to avoid the problems encountered with the trouble-plagued 2018 Census.
Statistics NZ has announced the next Census will be held on Tuesday, March 7 next year, and says it has taken on board the lessons learned from the 2018 Census, which had an emphasis on online responses.
However, that contributed to the response rate falling to 83.3% from 92.2% in the 2013 Census and criticism that rural communities, Maori and other ethnic groups and people with lower incomes may have been under-represented in the results.
The 2023 Census will also give people the choice of completing the questionaires online or on a traditional hard copy (paper) form.
However, more resources will be made available for people who choose the paper option.
"Stats NZ has taken on board the lessons of the 2018 Census, and the 2023 Census is being designed specifically to enable people to participate in the way that works best for them," the Government agency said in a statement.
Stats NZ chief executive Mark Sowden said the next census would be the most inclusive ever.
"People will have more choice about how they participate, either online or on paper" he said.
"We will have significantly more paper forms available than for the previous census and will make these forms available earlier.
"We are also doing more to support people whose first language is not English and will deliver the census in a wider range of accessible formats to better meet the needs of disabled people.
"In the 2023 Census there will be close to double the number of census collectors on the ground compared with 2018 to ensure people have what they need to take part.
"This will include help online, at your doorstep, or in your home for those who need the most support.
"A big focus... is achieving the highest response rates possible, especially for Maori, Pacific peoples, and other population groups with historically lower response rates," he said.
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