New Zealanders May Never Fill Out a Census Form Again

The cost of running a paper-based census—sending forms to every household—is rising, prompting a rethink of how data is collected.
New Zealanders May Never Fill Out a Census Form Again
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Rex Widerstrom
Updated:
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Rising costs have prompted Statistics New Zealand to propose major changes to how the 2028 census is conducted, including relying more heavily on existing government data.

The agency is consulting the public on whether shifting away from its long-standing door-to-door approach and using “administrative data” instead could deliver the same information faster, more efficiently, and at a significantly lower cost.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.