

Multilingual Demographic Dictionary, second unified edition, English volume

Population census

Multilingual Demographic Dictionary, second unified edition, English vol.
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Population census  (POPULATION census)

Population censuses 1 are taken to obtain information about the state of the population (201-8) at a given time. Most commonly all inhabitants of a particular country are counted simultaneously:. the census is then called a general census 2 Occasionally, however, only a section of the population is counted, e.g. the inhabitants of a given area, in which case the census is called a partial census 3. The term "Census", however, denotes that an attempt was made to enumerate every member of the population concerned and to achieve complete coverage 4 of the population. A micro census 5 is limited to a sample of the population, usually large in size, and belongs in the category of sample surveys 6. Censuses or surveys are sometimes preceded by pretests 7 or pilot surveys 7. To verify the accuracy and completeness of enumeration (230-2), a post-enumeration check 8★ is performed using a post-enumeration survey 9.

  • 1. Census, n. - censal, adj. The intercensal period is the time elapsing between two successive censuses.
    Modern censuses correspond to what used to be called head counts. Population counts include any estimation procedure, however imprecise, based for example on the counting of baptisms (214-2) registered for a number of years, or of hearths (110-3) or even parishes (214-1).