New Zealanders May Never Fill Out a Census Form Again

The cost of running a paper-based census—sending forms to every household—is rising, prompting a rethink of how data is collected. Rising costs have prompted Statistics New Zealand to propose major changes to how the 2028 census is conducted, including relying more heavily on existing government data. The agency is consulting the public on whether shifting away from its long-standing door-to-door approach and using “administrative data” instead could deliver the same information faster, more efficiently, and at a significantly lower cost. Under the current model, census forms are delivered to every...