Traditionally, a census ranks among the most important 
and most extensive statistical inquiries conducted in Europe and elsewhere in the world at intervals of ten years. In 2011, population and housing censuses will be held in all European Union Member States at a time, using uniform or comparable definitions of surveyed information. For that reason, the results of the Population and Housing Census held in the Slovak Republic will be comparable internationally.
For every resident of the Slovak Republic, the Census represents an opportunity, the right to contribute to a comprehensive holistic picture of the demographic and social situation and the living conditions of the Slovak Republic’s population. This picture needs to be known. One purpose, among others, is to be able to make accurate prognoses for the future development of society.
On the other hand, there are no required or optional questions in the Census Sheets – as is sometimes mistakenly assumed. There are only so-called required and derived themes that, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Population and Housing Censuses, had to be or were allowed to be incorporated in census forms in order to make the surveyed statistical data internationally comparable, as mentioned above. Therefore, it is the duty imposed by law upon a Slovak Republic citizen (Law Act No. 263/2008 Coll. on the Population and Housing Census in 2011) to answer all the questions included in Census Sheets (A. Data on Population, B. Data on Apartment, C. Data on Housing). “Every person who is obligated to provide information … was furnish the requested information completely, accurately, truthfully and in a timely manner…”