US seeks input on next census

Preparations for the 2030 census include conducting research, testing, operational planning and design work to inform the next survey.

In a federal register notice asking for feedback by 15^th November, the Census Bureau noted several factors that could impact the design of the next census, including budget restrictions, declining response rates and public concerns about how the government collects information.

Estimates published as part of the 2020 census post-enumeration survey and demographic analysis suggest undercounts within certain population groups, so the agency is seeking feedback on how to ensure the next census improves how it reaches these groups.

“We are interested in recommendations that help us reach everyone—especially the Black or African American population, the American Indian or Alaska Native population living on a reservation, the Hispanic or Latino population, people who reported being of Some Other Race, and young children,” the Census Bureau said in the notice.

The Bureau is also investigating other potential means of improving census data quality – which could include drawing on more administrative data – and how to tailor its strategies for contacting households “to maximise the number of households responding on their own”.