MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay's INE launches virtual phase of 2023 census

“The census will mark the public policies of the next 10 years,” Aboal explained

Uruguay's National Statistics Institute (INE) kicked off a new census during the weekend in a virtual modality until May 17 when it will switch to face-to-face interviews, INE Director Diego Aboal explained.

“The census will mark the public policies of the next 10 years, of the next two governments, for example, to know where to open a school, a polyclinic,” Aboal said during a press conference.

The survey in each household will provide “a snapshot of the whole country's citizens”, he added.

The digital form takes about 25 minutes to complete online and includes security mechanisms to confirm the identity of the respondent, who must be over 18 years of age and do so on behalf of the family nucleus. Filling out the form on the censo2023.uy website replaces the in-person interview. Census takers will canvas some 1,500,000 households in 650 localities.

The Household, Population, and Housing Census seeks to determine the number of inhabitants, dwellings, and households in the country, as well as statistical information on the living conditions, socio-cultural level, and needs of the national population, the authorities also pointed out.

At the end of the questionnaire, a completion code will be generated that should be saved for when it is requested by the census taker, who will visit the dwelling in the second stage of the 2023 Census, starting on May 17.

The previous national census dates back to 2011 when INE determined the Uruguayan population to stand at almost 3.4 million inhabitants.