A field officer is calling this year's census a farce after it had the lowest response rate in five surveys.

The release of the 2018 Census data has been delayed until next year because of the low turnout. The response rate of 90 per cent.

Coromandel Pennisula Census Field Officer Hillary Falconer told Mike Hosking unlike in previous years she wasn't able to hand out paper copies.

She says the push for people to respond online meant there was no back up for people in rural areas who don't have computers.

"It was a system that was designed absolutely beautifully in corporate offices, but didn't function out in the field."

It was the first time Statistics NZ used a digital-first method.

Falconer says field officers were not given paper forms for those without internet access, and instead directed people to a helpline where they could ask to be sent hard copy forms.

"That's the problem - they haven't captured, say, rural Māori, people who don't have computers. I didn't have a paper form that I could just hand them.

I had people who were ringing up for days, trying to get on the helpline, and it was always busy or they were told to ring another number."

LISTEN ABOVE AS HILLARY FALCONER SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING