"This population census is different. We are largely basing it off registries. This means we are using data from 30 different registries to gather general data about people and their residencies. And we ask people to fill out short additional surveys, which usually take about five minutes," population census project manager Liina Osila said.

The survey asks people about themselves, their living space and their family members.

Some people in the 61,000-person census sample could also get a visit from a census taker. They have been sent a letter stating that it is mandatory for their household to take part in the census.

"I hope we do not have to come. But still, we have a registry-based census along with a sample survey, which means the survey is open online, but there are a certain amount of people and addresses who have to respond. This is so we can later publish trustworthy data by local municipalities," Osila said.

"For those people that cannot respond online - and there certainly are such people in the sample - a census taker will call them by the end of February. If they cannot be reached by phone, we will take a notification to their door, which asks them to get in contact with us. If that is not possible, another solution will be found - whether a home visit is possible, taking into consideration all safety measures, of course. But the rest of the population does not have to worry about someone not being counted. We will go over everyone using registries and taking part in the census is voluntary, but we call everyone to do it," the project manager said.

There are eight days left for the population census and some 400,000 people or 30 percent of the population have been counted up already. This is behind the previous population census, which set a world record, ETV's "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

"This data allows us to assess where children live, where we need to develop schools, where there are elderly people that could require care homes and where people gather to build houses and how big they are and so on," Osila explained.

The e-census is available on rahvaloendus.ee.

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