Methodology - Senior citizens

The population is gradually aging, while not only the number but also the share of seniors in the population is increasing over the long term. According to demographic projections, continued aging can be expected in the future as well. It is therefore very important to pay close attention to issues of senior life and the care of this important part of the population. Definitions of the term senior can vary, from a demographic point of view in relation to the age criterion, we consider residents of the Czech Republic aged 65 and over to be senior citizens.

Population size (population stock, number of inhabitants/residents) is calculated by the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) on the basis of the results of a census of population, houses and dwellings and an annual balance of demographic events. All data refer to citizens of the Czech Republic, regardless of citizenship, and foreigners with long-term residence in the Czech Republic. Since 2022, the population also includes persons granted temporary protection in the Czech Republic who have applied for its extension.

Age is given in completed years, i.e. represents the age at the last birthday. Data on the age structure of the population are commonly available for units of age (with the last open age group of 100+ years). They are published in this detail for the administrative districts of municipalities with extended powers (AD MEP) and higher territorial units. The population of municipalities is usually published broken down into basic age groups 0–14, 15–64, and 65+ years.

Index of ageing: the ratio of the number of persons aged 65 years and over to the number of children aged 0–14 years (usually expressed as the number of elderly persons per 100 children) at the reference time.

Average (mean) age: the arithmetic average of ages of all individuals in the population (of a given sex or total) living at the reference time.

The life expectancy shows the average number of years an x-year-old individual can expect to live, given the mortality conditions of the reference year (period). It is a resulting indicator from life tables, which reflects mortality conditions of the given year (period). With regards to elimination of random deviations, life tables for Regions are processed for two-year periods and for Districts for five-year periods.

The pension insurance scheme provides security to citizens for old age, disability, or death of the breadwinner. The compulsory basic pension insurance scheme provides old-age pensions, disability pensions, and survivors’ pensions (widows’ and widowers’ pensions, and orphan pension). The scheme has continuous funding and the legal regulation is unified for all pension insured persons according to the Act No. 155/1995 Coll., on Pension Insurance, as subsequently amended.

The full old-age pension may be received either once the age limit for retirement has been reached, then it is a regular old-age pension, or before the age limit for retirement has been reached as determined by law and then it is an early old-age pension (sometimes called “premature”). Entitlement to the full old-age pension as well as the early (premature) one is simultaneously conditioned by acquiring the necessary period of insurance. When the required period of insurance for the full old-age pension has not been met, the insured person may, after having reached a determined shorter period of insurance and the higher age determined by law, be granted a proportional pension.

A widow/widower is entitled to the widow’s / widower’s pension on condition that the deceased persons was a recipient of an old-age pension or a disability pension, or by the day of his/her death had met prerequisites for entitlement to the disability pension or the old-age pension, or deceased due to an occupational injury (occupational disease).

Pensions may be paid separately, then they are so-called single pensions. Widows’ and widowers’ pensions may be paid simultaneously with the old-age pension or the disability pension (combined pensions).

Presented data on the use of information technologies are based on the Sample Survey on ICT Usage in Households and by Individuals, which is carried out on the sample of individuals (persons) aged 16+ years. In order to be more representative, data, which are broken down by Region, are published as three-year moving averages.

Individuals (persons) using the Internet are such individuals (persons) who have used the Internet at least once anywhere in the last three months (e.g. at home, at work, at school) for whatever purpose (private or work) from any device (e.g. from a mobile phone, a computer, a smart TV).

Individuals (persons) using internet banking are individuals (persons) who, at least once in the last three months, have used an internet portal enabling remote control and management of a bank account via the Internet (including access from a mobile phone via an application, so-called mobile banking).

Individuals (persons) using social networks (social networking) on the Internet are those who in the last three months at least once logged into their user profile on such networks and used available services as, for example, browsing through posts of other users, communication with other users, and/or sharing of their own posts.

The Census of Population, Housing and Dwellings (SLDB) took place from March 27 to May 11, 2021 throughout the territory of the Czech Republic in accordance with Act No. 332/2020 Coll., on the Census of Population, Housing and Dwellings in 2021. The data were collected according to status at the decisive moment, which was midnight from March 26 to 27, 2021. All information obtained in this way was processed according to the territorial and administrative division of the state valid in the Czech Republic as of March 26, 2021, according to the place of usual residence of the enumerated person.

The place of usual residence is defined as the place where a person predominantly resides, spends his/her daily rest time, regardless of temporary absence due to recreation, visits, business trips, stay in a health facility, etc., and where he/she is a member of a particular household. For the inclusion of a person in the usual resident population of the Czech Republic, the criterion of length of stay of at least 12 months or the intention of long-term residence is decisive.

The type of housing arrangements / type of housing for all persons and households was ascertained in the Census. In addition to conventional dwelling, a distinction is made for persons in housing arrangements in collective living quarters and also in various types of housing outside the dwelling stock in other buildings and other housing units and homeless persons.

Persons in institutions are persons with usual residences in all types of collective living quarters (such as elderly care homes, children’s homes, lodging houses, prisons etc.).

Persons in other housing units are persons with usual residences in improvised housing units, mobile housing units, recreational cottages or chalets or in buildings intended for habitation but not in conventional dwellings (in units not intended for habitation such as garages or offices).

The highest educational attainment was collected only for persons aged 15 and over according to the highest school completed. The data provided on the Census questionnaire were supplemented with information on education from administrative sources. Persons who received their education in a private or foreign educational institution without accreditation by the Ministry of Education reported the corresponding level of education in the Czech education system.

The completion of the information on religious beliefs was voluntary for the respondents and they could declare in their answer whether they were believers and state the religious trend, movement, church or society to which they belonged or whether they were without religious belief.

The place of residence at birth is defined as the place of usual residence at birth of the enumerated person, i.e. where the enumerated person lived directly right after birth.

Labour force (currently active population) represents employed persons (working) and unemployed. Employed are all persons aged 15 or over who at Census reference date had a formal attachment to their job or were engaged in any activity for pay or profit for at least one hour per week. Labour force includes also working pensioners, working students and persons on maternity leave (28 or 37 weeks).

Persons outside the labour force (not economically active) are persons, who are neither employed nor unemployed. It includes not working pensioners, other non-working with their own source of livelihood, persons on parental leave, not working students, homemakers, preschool children and other dependent persons.