The Hungarian Parliament on Monday repeatedly approved the law on the 2011 census, which President Laszlo Solyom had sent back for reconsideration in October.
The law was approved with 190 votes for, 158 against and two abstentions.
Solyom criticised the law for banning census officers from asking about the respondents’ health status and religion, questions asked during the 2001 census.
The president argued that such information gives important indications of society and that the census, held once in every ten years, should be consistent in order to enable meaningful comparisons.
MPs have in part accepted the president’s critical remarks. Accordingly, respondents will be asked about their mother tongue, national or ethnic affiliation, fertility and disability. Unlike in 2001, however, they will not be asked about their religion.
The census will be taken in October 2011.
