religious affiliation Public consultation INSTAT November 12, 2018 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Religion / Questions to religious affiliation

Public consultation

INSTAT November 12, 2018

Population and Housing Census 2020

• It will be based and conform

international recommendations and regulations of the European Union

• It will collect the information for

all core topics embraced on Eurostat and United Nations recommendations

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Classification of themes/topics

According to Eurostat and UN recommendations, census questions are grouped in two main categories:

Core topics Questions with a common interest and necessary/essential for statistical comparisons at international level. Non - core topics Optional questions based on the specific needs and request from users.

Non - core topics /questionnaire

The decision to include non-core topics in the Census questionnaire depends on several considerations and national circumstances e.g.

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National requirements for given information Sensitive nature of census questions

• n religion

Comparability to the previous census

Specificity of the questions

• Collection of data should be based on free

declaration of the respondents.

• In particular cases (depending on users requests) it

can be established an age limit. For children the applied rule is that the parent should answer to these questions. But it may be decided that this information will not be collected.

• For

these questions should be included an alternative answer ‘Other’, where the respondent can specify freely her/his religious affiliation

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Specificity of the questions

• For all respondents should be include another

alternative to answer ‘Prefer not to answer / declare’

• Each country that includes religion in its census

questionnaire should use the definition most appropriate to its specific information needs and circumstances

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Census 2011 – The question

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Results of Census 2011

8 Responded 83.78 per cent Prefer not to answer 13.79 per cent Not relevant/not stated, 2.43 per cent

Experience in the Balkan Region

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2010 Census round COUNTRY Type of question Declaration ALBANIA Open Free BOSNIA AND H. Open Free CROATIA Semi-open Free FYROM Open Free KOSOVO Closed Free MONTENEGRO Open Free SERBIA Open Free Question on religious affiliation

Question - Census 2020

10 ALTERNATIVE I

Do you belong to any religion? (Self-declaration, not obligatory) 1. Specify 2. I don’t belong to any religion, but I am a believer 3. I don’t belong to any religion and I am not a believer 4. Prefer not to answer

Question - Census 2020

11 ALTERNATIVE II

List of religious groups is subject of consultations with interest group

Do you belong to any religion? (Self-declaration, not obligatory) 1. Yes Muslim Bektashi Catholic Orthodox Evangelist Other (specify) 2. I don’t belong to any religion, but I am a believer 3. I don’t belong to any religion and I am not a believer 4. Prefer not to answer

Lessons learnt

Advantages

• Allows comparison and dynamics of data between two censuses;
• Provide and official data;

Disadvantages

• High focus on sensitive questions loses the purpose of the process as

a whole;

• The political use of census data should be consensual as it involves

the entire population;

• Refusal of the census questionnaire due to sensitive questions;
• Controversy on census results after the publication;
• Reduced number of requests by the users for this type of information;
• Using open question requires more processing and data cleaning;
• Relevant data on religion can be collected using other surveys

(examples from the field has shown that there are no issues in the response rate for this type of question). 12

Proposals for 2020 Census

Questions on religious affiliation:

• Do you think the question of 2011 Census is

appropriate or needs improvement?

• Have the 2011 Census results on religion been used

by stakeholders and policymakers?

• Do you think the question on religion is necessary as

part of Census 2020 questionnaire?

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Thank you !

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