The 2021 population census will be held from 1 June to 4 July, two months later than the original planned date, from 1 April to 7 May, the state statistics bureau DZS said on Tuesday.

The new dates are included in the new amendments to the census law, which are open to public debate until 24 February, were deemed necessary due to problems caused by the Covid-19 epidemic.

DZS Director-general, Lidija Brkovic, told state television HRT a week ago the census would most likely take place in June and that the DZS was following the Covid-19 situation and consulting the national Covid-19 response team.

“Population censuses are postponed in exceptional situations and this is one of them, and almost every state in the world which conducts face-to-face interviews has been forced to postpone,” she said.

The government has set aside 177.3 million kuna (€23.4 million) to finance this year’s census.

(€1 = 7.56 kuna)