France’s 2024 census: who has to participate?

France conducts an annual census to see how many people live in each area, what their living standards are and what local services they require. We look at who is concerned by this and how it will work this year.

The 2024 census starts today (January 18). Its aim is to question a sample of the population to create a snapshot of life in France.

This year will involve 24,000 agents visiting five million homes and questioning nine million people of all ages.

It will start on January 18 and run until February 17 for communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, and until February 24 for communes with over 10,000 inhabitants.

In France’s overseas departments it lasts until March 9.

Who is affected by the census?

Not all communes participate each year:

• Communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants undertake the census every four years for all inhabitants
• Communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants see 8% of their inhabitants involved each year

This year the census involves 955 communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants and 6,750 communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.

Anybody who receives notice about the census must take part “if they are living or plan to live at least 12 months in France,” says the census organiser INSEE, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.

People selected to participate will receive a letter from their local mayor informing them that a census agent will visit their home.

The letter will include the agent’s name, reference and photograph. It will also say when the agent will visit.

If you are not a resident or do not plan to be one within the year it is not relevant to you. This exception applies both to tourists (including those who have second homes in France) and seasonal workers.

If you receive notice and you are not a resident, or you receive notice at your secondary residence, you must tell the census agent. The census only concerns main residences.

Participation is mandatory. There is a €38 fine if you are selected and do not participate.

Read also: Are people being fined over France’s new obligatory food waste rules?

How does the census work?

The letter from your local mayor will say when the census agent will visit your home.

When the agent visits you can ask them to show you their identification.

They will then give you a questionnaire to complete either on paper or online.

You will need to use an individual reference number (provided by the census agent) to complete the questionnaire online. If you have that information you can complete it here.

The agent can provide an instruction leaflet in English (or in several other languages) explaining how to complete the questionnaire. The English version is available here.

What if I am not at home?

If you are not there when they visit the agent will leave a letter telling you how to organise another visit.

However since part of the census agents’ role is to check that the participants are real, they cannot put the questionnaire in your letterbox or send it by mail.

How will the census information be used?

Only INSEE, the bureau of statistics, has access to the questionnaires which it uses to inform the state, local authorities and communes about the age distribution of an area’s inhabitants as well as people’s means and living conditions.

This information is used to plan budgets and local services.

The census is overseen by the French Data Protection Authority, CNIL and cannot be checked by the tax authorities.

Once the questionnaires have been processed the names and addresses are deleted.

Visit INSEE’s website if you would like to view the census results for previous years.

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