In 2011, Germany conducted the first census after the reunification. In contrast to a classical census, a register-assisted census was implemented using population register data and an additional sample. This paper provides an overview of how the sampling design recommendations were set up in order to fulfil legal requirements and to guarantee an optimal but still flexible source of information. The aim was to develop a design that fosters an accurate estimation of the main objective of the

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... us, the total population counts. Further, the design should also adequately support the application of small area estimation methods. Some empirical results are given to provide an assessment of selected methods. The research was conducted within the German Census Sampling and Estimation research project, financially supported by the German Federal Statistical Office.