In an article published on January 10 about the preliminary results of the census, we note that the data on the population where the three characteristics listed in the title are unknown are extremely large and cannot be accepted without clarification of the content of the grouping and origin. distortion In the Appendix, I made several important clarifications, starting with two new figures published by Professor Mircea Kivu in a paper published on January 8 (also here on the Contributors site). Based on data obtained by the author from the National Institute of Statistics (INS), here is a breakdown of verified individuals and those INS later included in the verified population from databases and administrative records where information is missing on three individuals. characteristics (summary from the application):

“… (1) About 1 million people who were not verified during the registration periods (self-verification and registration with a reviewer) were identified by the National Institute of Statistics as having their usual place of residence in the country on December 1, 2021 in databases and administrative registers sent to the institute before the start of the review. These persons were included in the permanent population. Ethnicity, mother tongue and religion were not reflected in databases and administrative registers; (2) for 1.1 million self-reporters, questionnaires were incomplete, missing information on three characteristics; (3) for 500,000 people registered by the reviewers, the questionnaires were incomplete, there was a lack of information on three characteristics. Thus, we reach 2.5-2.7 million people for whom there is no information on three characteristics in the census results. The problem with these numbers is the very important classification of 2.5-2.7 million people by ethnicity/native language/religion. unannounced and rating on Data not available”.

We will keep the number 2.6 million obtained by adding (1)+(2)+(3). It should be noted that in the questionnaire there was an option Undeclared religion, but the data is not published. So we don’t mention this feature anymore. For the 1 million people from component (1) without information on ethnicity and native language, the classification was automatically performed in the Data Not Available category. This leaves us with approximately 1.6 million RECENT residents (components (2) and (3)) for which we do not know three characteristics. By what mechanism do we not know them? Due to the absence of the “Not declared” option in the census questionnaires, in the Ethnicity and Native Language Nomenclature, which is accessed for self-verification and reviewer registration.

In the Extraordinary Resolution no. 19 of February 4, 2020 regarding the organization and conduct of the population and housing census in Romania in 2021 is specified in Article 25, (3). All questions in the form are compulsory (under VG). Probably, I wanted to say that answers to all characteristics in the census questionnaire are mandatory. Yes, the reviewed person had to answer all the questions in the questionnaire, but he could not be forced to necessarily choose one of the two nomenclatures in the case of ethnicity and native language (in the questionnaire on the review platform and in the reviewer’s tablet). She could refuse to declare her ethnicity or language, a common practice during censuses, a right that was taken away from her and was denied during the Romanian census.

The non-inclusion of the “Undeclared” option in the population census questionnaire by ethnicity and native language was made after some decisions. Which body accepted them? Here are the duties:

ARTICLE 31. The Department of Inter-Ethnic Relations, in cooperation with the parliamentary groups of national minorities in the Parliament of Romania and the Institute for the Study of National Minority Problems, is obliged to develop the Nomenclature of Ethnic Groups and Native Languages, which is approved by the Government’s decision, provided for in Art. 29 years old in).

(LAW No. 178 of August 18, 2020 on the approval of Emergency Government Order No. 19/2020 on the organization and conduct of the population and housing census in Romania in 2021).

(On the website of the Department of International Relations: Secretary of State – Latsiko Eniko Katalin; Deputy Secretary of State – Thomas Sindilariu; Deputy Secretary of State – Dincer Heifer)

The National Institute of Statistics was not responsible for the development of these two nomenclatures (Article 29 of the same law).

The nomenclature for religions was developed by another authority and includes the option Undeclared.

The Central Census Commission was aware of the lack of such a possibility.

The Office of International Relations has an obligation to the 1-2 million residents who have been checked, but who have been denied the right not to indicate their ethnicity and native language, to justify the absence of the item “Not declared” on the census questionnaire Read the full article and comments on participants