Demography: Béziers is preparing for the census, everything you need to know

Le recensement est effectué chaque année à Béziers. Laurent François – Midi Libre

Du 18 janvier au 24 février, seize agents recenseurs, des services municipaux et de La Poste, assureront le recensement dans les différents quartiers de la ville. 3 960 foyers seront visités.

The mail from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) has arrived in the mailboxes of hundreds of homes for several days already: it warns residents that from January 18 and until February 24, a census agent will come knocking on their door. As in all towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants, where this is the case every year (every five years for municipalities with less than 10,000 inhabitants), the census will therefore be launched in Béziers.

Not all homes

There will be sixteen census takers. Eight are municipal employees and eight others come from La Poste, with which the City has signed a contract. Please note, they will not reach all homes. Some households did not receive the letter announcing their visit. It is, in fact, impossible in the time allotted to them, to visit all the homes: "The addresses were drawn at random by INSEE, based on a database, explains Chantal Rodriguez, director of finance at the City of Béziers, the census office being attached to the delegated finance department, a service supervised by elected official Laurence Rul. This affects all neighborhoods in the town. But in fact, on the same street, agents can go to two addresses and not to the third. As part of the 2024 census campaign, 3,960 housing units will be recorded. This represents approximately 8 to 9% of the population of Béziers. Each year, the census covers a sample of dwellings equivalent in number. The eight city agents will identify 2,031 dwellings and those of the Post Office, 1,929. "< /p>

"In 2023, 50% did it via the internet" 

The agents carry out their visits according to the neighborhoods and the population. They generally pass at the end of the day, or even on Saturday. They then deliver, by hand, to the home, a document to be completed which will have to be returned. They also propose to do it directly, via the internet on the INSEE website, using a code communicated to them: "This is being done more and more, notes Chantal Rodriguez. In 2023, 50% of people did it online. If people want, the agent can also help fill out the document and leave with it."

Each enumerator has a professional card. He systematically presents it during his visit. If in doubt, it is recommended to call the census department of Béziers town hall on 04 67 36 73 73.