Their day would begin at the university, continue with interviewing Chișinău residents, and end with wedding preparations. We're talking about Maxim and Anastasia Sîrbu, two of more than 4,000 census enumerators, temporarily employed by the National Bureau of Statistics to collect data for the 2024 Population and Housing Census, the third since the Republic of Moldova declared its independence.

Maxim, a 23-year-old student at the Moldovan Academy of Orthodox Theology, and Anastasia, a 20-year-old student studying Romanian language and literature and English at the “Ion Creangă” State Pedagogical University in Chișinău. 

They decided to enroll as enumerators based on the recommendation of their future godfather, who had also worked as an enumerator 10 years ago. Moreover, the National Bureau of Statistics' regulation allows students to work as enumerators, as they can conduct the interviews outside of school hours and on days off.

,,Young people play an active role in the census. Student participation is an example of community involvement. In our group in the Buiucani district, we were the youngest. Our godfather had told us that the census was a beautiful and interesting experience that would allow us to acquire skills in a new field. And that turned out to be true! We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we were determined to see it through. We never regretted our decision, even during the most challenging moments."

They attended training sessions, learning about the census, fieldwork, and data collection. They also learned about confidentiality, communication, and appropriate conduct.

They were also interested in hands-on activities, where they learned how to use the tablet, digital maps, and data collection app. This year, for the first time in Moldova’s census history, enumerators used tablets to collect population and housing data, which ensured a high level of personal data protection, enabled efficient and secure data transmission, and helped reduce the time needed to process the information.

This was possible thanks to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the European Union, which supported the National Bureau of Statistics by providing a donation of 3,000 electronic tablets, complete with accessories, valued at approximately 800,000 euros. An additional 1,800 tablets had been previously purchased and used, including for the 2023 Pilot Population and Housing Census in 11 localities across the Republic of Moldova.

April 10 marked the first day of census for Anastasia and Maxim, a day filled with excitement and high hopes. Since then, for nearly three months, the two young people have been knocking on the doors of over 700 apartments in the Buiucani district of the capital.

,,We are pleased that most people have been responsive and welcoming. Many were already aware of the census, having heard about it in the press, on social media, or through advertisements on public transport. Some suggested that it would be beneficial to hold the census annually to keep data updated, especially given the context of Moldovan migration trends and the war in Ukraine. Only a few individuals were unaware of the census or refused to answer due to various myths. Some individuals refused to participate in the census due to religious beliefs. One woman, for example, refused to communicate with us on five separate occasions. Despite repeated attempts to explain the importance of the census and address her concerns, she remained steadfast in her refusal. After several discussions and the involvement of the supervisor, she eventually agreed to participate. Police intervention was never required."

,,We talked politely with each person who answered the door and gained people’s trust. We explained each step of the process, debunked myths, and showed them that we accurately recorded their answers. We highlighted the importance of this statistical exercise and emphasized that we were also participating in the census, contributing together to ensure quality data collection. When people saw us working together, they would appreciate our efforts and praise our work. Some older people with reduced mobility invited us into their homes for brief chats and to share experiences. Every time a door was closed, we didn’t give up. We continued to visit and left notices about participating in the census. In the final days, people even started calling us to arrange the day and time for their participation in the census," adds Anastasia.

Their responsibilities didn’t end there. When they got home in the evening, around 9:00-10:00 p.m., they continued with their wedding preparations and practiced their first dance as a married couple. They got married on May 19. Despite their involvement in the data collection process, they planned a short two-day honeymoon, which they looked forward to enjoying fully after the census was completed.

Ten years from now, they envision themselves still involved in the Census, but as supervisors. They say that having ‘learned the ropes of being enumerators’, they are eager to take on new responsibilities – such as monitoring the data collection process, training enumerators, and coordinating their work.

According to preliminary data, between April 8 and July 7, 2024, the Population and Housing Census counted 2,448,000 persons, including both persons with and without usual residence in the Republic of Moldova, and 1,655,000 dwellings, including occupied, secondary, and unoccupied dwellings.

UNFPA supports census operations in over 155 countries worldwide. In our country, UNFPA provides the National Bureau of Statistics with technical and financial assistance, as well as international expertise, throughout all stages – from planning and implementation to data collection.

The preliminary census results will be presented later this year. Detailed final results will be available by the end of 2025.