Usage Note
Volkszählung is a transparent compound of Volk ('people') and Zählung ('count'), so it literally names a 'people-counting'. In modern Germany the official term is increasingly Zensus, but Volkszählung remains common in history and journalism. The linking -s- (Volks-) is the usual genitive joint in such compounds.
Examples
"Die letzte Volkszählung war 2011."
Natural Translation
The last census was in 2011.
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