Traditionally, census has been conducted in Europe and elsewhere in the world at intervals of 10 years. In our country, censuses have been realised since the Middle Ages. With the development of the society, the objectives, range and methods of statistical surveys have changed, censuses (this term refers to the Census of Population, Houses and Dwellings) still provide an irreplaceable data source on population and its progress in the reference period.
2011 Population and Housing Census marks history because of two reasons. Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council population censuses were held in all EU Member States at a time. In the 2011 census, residents of the Slovak Republic were allowed for the first time in history, to choose whether to fill out the Census Sheets in paper or electronic form.
The decisive moment for the census midnight between Friday, the 20th of May 2011, and Saturday, the 21st of May 2011. Residents of the SR recorded in the Census Sheets information actual to this date. Besides the official language, paper and electronic Census Sheets were also available in Hungarian, Romany, Ruthenian and Ukrainian languages. Census Sheets in English language were available only in electronic form.