France’s 2026 census begins: Who must do it and how?

France’s annual census begins on Thursday (January 15), with millions needing to complete the questionnaire. 

The census is conducted by state statistics body Insee, and asks several questions about a person’s age, occupation, travel, and daily life. 

Census studies are conducted annually, but not everyone is asked to complete the form each year helping contribute to a major census data release from Insee. 

Participation is mandatory for those chosen and is seen as a form of ‘civic duty’ as the results are used to assign local budgets, plan transport links, the number of pharmacies required in a commune, etc. 

At the local level, it is also used to determine facilities such as schools and hospitals.

How does it work and how to know if you are impacted?

The census is done on a communal basis, splitting France into two groups. 

For communes with a population under 10,000 everyone has to complete the census when it is the commune’s turn to do so which is every five years.

In communes with a population over 10,000, the census is conducted annually, with some 8% of residents needing to complete it.

For residents of smaller communes chosen for the census, it must be completed by February 14, and for those in larger areas by February 21. Note dates for some overseas areas differ.

If your commune or area is chosen for the annual census, you will receive a letter informing you.

You can also check using the official website if your commune has been chosen (scroll to the ‘Ma commune est-elle concernée cette année ?’ section and type in your commune name). 

The letter will inform you that an official census taker (or census officer) will soon come to your property to present the questionnaire.

They will be carrying an official identification (tricolour card, signed by the mayor with the name and officer’s photo on it). 

You can ask to see this, as well as verify with the local mayor if the census taker is legitimate. 

The census is secure, and information is not shared by Insee with any other body (including the tax office).

You are not paid to complete the census however, and if any website claims you can be paid by completing it through them, it is a scam and you should only complete it via the methods below.

How to complete it and English-language assistance

The letter you receive will also include a log-in code to complete the questionnaire online through the le-recensement-et-moi.fr website, which is the preferred method. 

Alternatively, the census taker can provide you with a physical copy of the questionnaire when they come to your property.

The census will consist of two elements. The first part asks questions about the property and only needs to be completed once per household, with a second part asking questions about the individual that must be answered by, or on behalf of, everyone living in the property (including children).

If you choose to complete the census online, once the website has confirmed you are finished that is all you need to do. 

For those completing a physical version of the census, the census officer will arrange a time to return to the property and pick up the documents, or you can send them directly to your local mairie or to Insee (ask for the relevant address).

While the questionnaire is in French – and answers should be given in French – explanatory guides are available in several languages including English from the census taker, and a PDF is available here giving further detail in English.

Translations of the questionnaire into English are available here (for the individual section) and here (the property section).

You can use them to help you complete the census by cross-referencing the questions to give your answers.

What happens if you do not complete it? Are second home owners affected?

Failure to complete the questionnaire or answer the census taker can lead to follow up letters from the mairie requesting you to do so, and a fine of €38 is possible for ‘persistent refusal’.

In practice however fines are rarely issued for non-completion by Insee.

The census is only required for people at their principal residence.

Second-home owners (including those living abroad) do not have to complete it for these properties.

If they are present at their second home when the census taker comes around, they will only need to answer a few questions as opposed to the entire questionnaire. 

They should not fill out the census in relation to their second home even if they receive a letter in the post to that address.

There is no need for concern for those not planning to be in France during this time and so unable to physically inform the census officer about the property’s status.

Several other data sets such as tax registers for taxe d’habitation show which local properties are listed as second homes, so mairies/Insee can refer to these if they do not receive a response.

If they see the property listed as a second home, they will not take any further action.