FAQ Structural Survey

Frequently asked questions

What is the Structural Survey?

The Structural Survey is part of the Population Census System. In the Structural Survey, the Federal Statistical Office surveys a small part of the population in writing. The survey complements the information from the registers and provides additional statistics on the structure of the population. The first results are available one year after the reference day. Cumulative results are also made available for the periods of three and five years.

Characteristics of the Structural Survey:

• information on the themes of population, households, families, housing, employment, mobility, education, language, religion and migration;
• sample survey of at least 200'000 people;
• response by internet or by completing a paper questionnaire;
• conducted annually with the reference day of 31 December;
• geographical depth of focus: Switzerland, major regions, cantons and communes with 15'000 inhabitants and more;
• the results can be cumulated over 3 and 5 years. This allows analyses to be made at a lower geographical level or in more detail on certain topics;
• cantons and cities can enlarge their sample.

What is the purpose of this survey?

The Structural Survey provides initial answers to questions relating to the Swiss resident population. It not only has an impact on economic, spatial planning and transport policy, but it also helps to address social and welfare policy issues. The latter include topics such as social security, family and education. The Structural Survey also provides important information regarding language and religious policy, as well as equality and minority policy for the federal government and the cantons.

Why have I been chosen to participate in the Structural Survey?

Samples of respondents are chosen at random from the Federal Statistical Office’s random sample register. This register is based on the data of the official population registers of the communes, the cantons and the Confederation.

Why have I/we been chosen to complete the Structural Survey once again?

As a rule, this should not happen as the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has introduced a process to ensure that the burden is distributed equally throughout the whole population. However, this process cannot entirely prevent the same people from being chosen twice. Potential reasons for being selected twice may include having moved house, a stay abroad or the size of your household. These cases are very rare, and the FSO makes every effort to avoid them. Thank you for your understanding. Please complete the questionnaire nonetheless.

Why has my household been sent two questionnaires for the Structural Survey?

This should not happen. It could be due to incorrect information on your household in the registers and their data being used by the Federal Statistical Office as the basis for the random sample of recipients. You only have to complete one questionnaire. The questionnaire of the person who has their birthday first in the year is decisive here. Thank you for your understanding.

Why have I received a letter without a paper questionnaire?

As an increasing number of people use the internet, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) wishes to encourage respondents to complete the questionnaire online. The online questionnaire is easier and quicker to complete and reduces costs for the Confederation. For this reason, the FSO sends only a letter containing access information for the online questionnaire to most of the selected population. If you are unable to complete the questionnaire online you may contact the hotline to order a paper questionnaire.

Why is participation in the Structural Survey compulsory?

The Structural Survey of the Federal Population Census is the largest statistical survey on population and household structures in Switzerland and is therefore extremely important for policymaking, the economy, administration and planning. That is why the Swiss federal government has made participation compulsory. The legal basis for this decision can be found in Article 10 of the Census Act (CC 431.112), which stipulates that participation in the Structural Survey is compulsory.

Will I receive a fine if I refuse to give information for the Structural Survey?

While the Structural Survey is compulsory, the Federal Census Act does not stipulate a fine for non-respondents but instead an administration fee. Non-respondents create an additional workload such as reminder letters or inquiries. Experience with previous structural surveys show that respondents’ willingness to participate is very high and therefore no such fees have to be paid.

Why should my child take part? He/she is under 18.

The Structural Survey is interested in the structure and the development of the Swiss population and should therefore include as wide a cross-section of the population as possible. The questions in the survey can also be answered by young adults.

In Switzerland, compulsory education ends between the ages of 15 and 16 years. Many young people either start an apprenticeship and enter the job market or continue their schooling. The answers of young adults are relevant for population surveys and for comparisons with international statistics.

Is the Federal Statistical Office allowed to pass on data to other authorities, such as the Tax Administration or the DI?

No, that is not allowed and is clearly governed by law. The data collected for the Structural Survey is anonymised and may only be used for statistical purposes.

Is the protection of data guaranteed?

Data protection and data security are among the most important concerns of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). They are guaranteed by the Federal Census Act, the Federal Statistics Act and the Data Protection Act.

• All information is kept strictly confidential.
• Names and addresses as well as the completed survey documents are destroyed after the data collection phase is completed.
• The data are only used for statistical purposes defined by law.
• The published results do not make it possible to draw any conclusions about the individual circumstances of individual households and persons.
• The employees of the FSO and of participating survey institutions are subject to the obligation to maintain confidentiality.

What possibilities do I have to complete the questionnaire of the structural survey?

We recommend completing the questionnaire online (www.ecensus.swiss). The online questionnaire is available in English, German, French, Italian and Rhaeto-Romanic. You can fill out the online questionnaire using a smartphone, desktop/laptop or a tablet device. You can find your password and user name (=login) on your letter or, if you have received a paper questionnaire, on the form labelled personal questionnaire.

The paper questionnaire is available in German, French, Italian and Rhaeto-Romanic. If you want to answer on a paper questionnaire and have only received a letter with access details for the online questionnaire, we can send you a corresponding paper questionnaire. Please contact the hotline for this.

In which languages is the questionnaire available?

The online questionnaire is available in English, German, French, Italian and Rhaeto-Romanic. We recommend completing the questionnaire online.

The paper questionnaire is available in German, French, Italian and Rhaeto-Romanic.  

Is the questionnaire also available in Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Albanian, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Montenegrin?

Unfortunately the questionnaire is not available in these languages. However, a brochure is available that can be used to help you translate the questionnaire. If you want, we can also send you this brochure by mail. Please contact the hotline for this.

Can the general public access the results?

Anyone can access the results. A large number of summarised results (tables, maps, etc.) is available on the Federal Statistical Office’s (FSO) website as well as on those of the cantons. Anonymised individual data are made available for research projects and following the conclusion of a data protection agreement.

The FSO publishes the information. However, the evaluation of data is up to the users, e.g. the cantons, federal offices, businesses or academics. The population benefits indirectly from these evaluations that are conducive to planning and may be used as the basis for decisions.

How are the paper questionnaires scanned?

The scanning mandate was awarded to the firm Tessi document solutions (Switzerland) GmbH by means of a WTO call to tender. The contract award was published on 7 May 2018 on www.simap.ch.

The paper questionnaires arrive in a pre-stamped reply envelope at the FSO’s data collection service centre which is ensured by Tessi. The questionnaires are scanned and the answers given are transformed into electronic data by means of optical character recognition (OCR). If the automatic OCR process is unable to read the entries, the questionnaire is re-processed manually. The scanned data do not leave Switzerland but they may be processed by specially trained employees of Tessi in Tunisia by means of a secure online system. Comprehensive data protection measures that are at least equal to those applied in Switzerland ensure that the manual correction of individual data is carried out securely. The FSO has obtained the supplier’s guarantee of data protection and carries out regular on-site inspections. Approximately 10% of questionnaires are processed in Tunisia.