As we approach the end of data collection for the Population Census, the operation depends on the unlimited support from the society and on the full access to residents. For this reason, 27 IBGE superintendents, together in Brasília for a long work agenda, have made a plea for the use of Call the Census at 137 by those who have not yet participated in the 2022 edition. According to the team, this service of fundamental importance for the conclusion of household data collection and reach residents of housing units that have not answered the questionnaire.

For the superintendents, the 137 service depends mainly on the cooperation of society and citizens for its proper functioning. “It is important to point out that Call the Census is another tool of innovation aiming at ensuring quality of the Census operation. That is a tool available for society to benefit society,” says Cimar Azeredo, acting president of the IBGE.

See their comments below :

“The 137 service is an option provided by the IBGE so that society can exercise their rights and answer the Census. That has been a successful measure in Sergipe. We managed to handle calls in a fast and efficient way. But we still need to increase participation, mainly in municipalities where it is more difficult for the enumerators to find residents at home.”

Adriane Sacramento, superintendent in Sergipe

“The IBGE has made Call the Census available for the Brazilian society to give everybody the opportunity to be certified and have their housing unit enumerated, whereas data collection goes on. These people will truly exercise their citizenship.”

Millane Chaves, superintendent in Mato Grosso

“The 137 is a practical communication channel with a double purpose: on the one hand, to help citizens exercise their citizenship; on the other, by listening to them, the IBGE renders account of the Census management with transparency and legitimacy. And the service can serve as a type of quality control.”

Maria Antonia Esteves da Silva, superintendent in Minas Gerais

“We have crossed all the territory, visited all housing units and now, in this revision step, we will come back to those unfinished places. That’s why it is important that the resident themselves call us at 137 and request a visit. The IBGE can only fulfill its mission when the population exercises their rights.”

Edson Vieira, superintendent in Goiás

"In Amazonas, the service is available in all municipalities of the state. We asked the population not yet enumerated in Amazonas: don’t stay out of the 2022 Census. I you haven’t been visited by the enumerator, call us at 137, one more option made given by the IBGE to help all Brazilian citizens exercise their citizenship by answering the 2022 Census, in favor of Brazil.”

José Ilcleson Mendes, superintendent in Amazonas

“Call the Census is available in 217 municipalities in Maranhão and it’s an opportunity to have people exercise their citizenship, in favor of their cities, their neighborhoods and their own interests. It also helps the IBGE and the country complete the Census operation.”

“It is really an essential service, to clear doubts and render account of the work, because we commonly see people say they were not enumerated and now they can contact the IBGE and fully exercise their rights. The 17 is a way the IBGE has found to give society an opportunity and a response at the same time.” 

Roberto Kern, superintendent in Santa Catarina

“Considering the demands from Call the Census, our teams are now traveling all around the state of Tocantins to attend to those not yet enumerated. The service is one more element to promote integration between society and the IBGE, and for the direct contact between the user and the Institute.”

Paulo Ricardo Amaral, superintendent in Tocantins

“The 137 is an important tool in this final step of data collection. It is a link to society and makes it possible to interview people in housing units with a difficult access to residents. Also, it is a great opportunity to clear doubts in those case when a person thinks they have not been enumerated, but, in fact, another resident received the enumerator and answered the Census.”

André Urpia, superintendent in Bahia

How does the 137 service work?

Call the Census at 137 is a toll-free service. One can call from a landline or mobile telephone, every day, from 8 am to 9:30 pm. A total of 120 census agents are working as operators for this service. For additional information, including availability in your municipality, click here.

An unprecedented initiative by the IBGE, the 137 is a telephone line made granted by Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) as a public utility service. All calls calls are answered by operators trained especially for this service.

When answering a call, the operator first asks for confirmation that no one else living in the same housing unit has answered the Census, since one resident can provide information of the entire household. If that is confirmed, the call goes on and the operator requests the address for verification purposes.

Based on information from the database, the operator tells the resident if the given address is listed as visited or not. If the housing unit has been visited, the resident is informed and the call is ended. In case the housing unit ha not been visited, the operator proceeds to arrange a visit by the enumerator.