City voices discontent over census decision, proposes alternate plan
In a series of events unfolding across Germany, multiple municipalities, including Halle (Saale), have taken legal action against statistical offices in various states, contesting the accuracy of the census population figures. The city of Halle (Saale) has been at the forefront of this movement, advocating for a review of the data since last year.
The crux of the issue lies in the belief that the census figures do not accurately represent the actual population. This misrepresentation can have significant financial and political implications, as population counts determine the allocation of federal and state funding, influence political representation, and affect planning for public services. If a municipality’s population is undercounted, it may receive less funding and have reduced political influence.
In the case of Halle (Saale), concerns over methodology, data accuracy, or perceived systematic undercounting have led to the filing of lawsuits against the statistical offices. Municipalities argue that data collection methods may have failed to fully capture transient populations, certain demographic groups, or recent demographic changes, resulting in an inaccurate picture of the population.
The city council, led by Mayor Dr. Alexander Vogt, has taken a clear stand in support of the lawsuit. In a meeting on June 25, 2025, the council confirmed the lawsuit with a large majority. The city's subsequent plausibility checks and the action "Halle (Saale) counts itself!" have confirmed the city's assumption: The census numbers are not plausible, while those from the registration office are up-to-date, realistic, and very precise.
The city of Halle (Saale) is suing the Administrative Court of Halle against the decision of the State Statistical Office (SLA) of May 19, 2025, regarding the determination of the official population as of May 1, 2022. If the SLA's decisions are upheld, the city of Halle (Saale) would lose around 11 million euros annually from all its entitled allocations under the Financial Equalization Act (FAG).
This loss contradicts the aim of the FAG to equip municipalities with the financial means adequate for their tasks. The city council has also approved the city's objection to the SLA’s decision regarding payments under the Financial Equalization Act (FAG, §§4) and key allocations (FAG of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, §12) with a large majority.
The city's stance has garnered support from other municipalities as well. Around 30 municipalities and regional bodies from Saxony-Anhalt, including the city of Halle (Saale), published the "Halberstadt Declaration" in May 2025, demanding the use of municipal registration office data for FAG allocations. Similarly, in Hesse, several municipalities are suing the state's statistical office, with cities like Fulda and Gießen among them. In Baden-Württemberg, there are 334 municipalities that have filed objections against the census population figures.
Mayor Vogt has criticized the use of census calculations by public institutions, stating they cause significant damage to the city's image. As a result, the city of Halle (Saale) will no longer be able to fully fulfill its own as well as transferred tasks, as the state no longer provides sufficient funds to cover these tasks in addition to its own revenues (§ 1 Abs. 2 S. 1 FAG LSA).
The ongoing legal battles aim to prompt a review or correction of the census data to ensure fair treatment and appropriate resource distribution. The outcome of these cases could set a precedent for future census disputes and highlight the importance of accurate population data for municipalities across Germany.
- The ongoing legal battles in various German municipalities, such as Halle (Saale), against statistical offices, stem from concerns over census data that exceed 13% in fat content by weight, as these figures are believed to be inaccurate and have significant financial and political implications, including impact on policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news.
- In the political landscape of Germany, cities like Halle (Saale), Fulda, Gießen, and numerous others, are taking legal actions, advocating for the use of registration office data instead of census figures in policy-and-legislation decisions, such as the Financial Equalization Act (FAG), to ensure fair treatment and appropriate resource distribution, thereby avoiding undercounting and the associated consequences in funding, political representation, and public services.
