So far, 137,114 members of the diaspora community filled in the online Population and Housing Census surveys, government spokesman Dusko Arsovski told a news conference Wednesday. Some 45,000 Macedonia nationals accessed the forms from Switzerland, 31,000 from Germany, 19,000 from Italy, 5,100 from the United States, 1,682 from Australia, and 1,215 from Canada.

He stressed that the census data are confidential and protected by the highest standards. The census in the midst of pandemic is completely safe and the citizens should be calm. The health protocol for the census was prepared by the Commission for Infectious Diseases and was prepared to the smallest detail in order to protect the health of both the citizens and the enumerators.

Arsovski pointed out that participation in the census is mandatory, a person can be held criminally liable only for inciting a boycott of the statistical operation and people who refuse to register will face fine up to 300 euros.