Censuses

Quiz

Censuses Don’t just collect demographic data but also gather information on employment, education, commuting patterns etc. At a NATIONAL level: Look at trends over the previous 10 years and projects these forward to enable planning to take place. Projects future demands for jobs. Projects natural change and migration change. Enables planning of services such as school and hospitals. Enables the projection of national housing demands. Is a snapshot of the diversity of a country.

Censuses

Don’t just collect demographic data but also gather information on employment, education, commuting patterns etc.

At a NATIONAL level:

Look at trends over the previous 10 years and projects these forward to enable planning to take place.

Projects future demands for jobs.

Projects natural change and migration change.

Enables planning of services such as school and hospitals.

Enables the projection of national housing demands.

Is a snapshot of the diversity of a country.

At a REGIONAL / LOCAL level: Enables regional plans to be developed to cater for anticipated natural increase/decrease and migration. Enables services to be located close to demand. Assists the provision of essential utilities. Locates multiple deprivation based on grid squares / postcodes. For BUSINESS AND COMMERICAL interests: Enables targeted marketing using information based on postcodes. Enables firms to locate in areas where people and required skills are available.

At a REGIONAL / LOCAL level:

Enables regional plans to be developed to cater for anticipated natural increase/decrease and migration.

Enables services to be located close to demand.

Assists the provision of essential utilities.

Locates multiple deprivation based on grid squares / postcodes.

For BUSINESS AND COMMERICAL interests:

Enables targeted marketing using information based on postcodes.

Enables firms to locate in areas where people and required skills are available.

Not everyone likes censuses. Infringement of privacy. Political conditions in a country prevent censuses, for example Nigeria did not have one for 28 years. Method of Collection – people are ‘counted’ either where they are at a precise moment in time ( de facto ), or according to their normal place of residence ( de jure ). Frequency – a census taken every 10 years is a common practice; some countries manage every 5 years, others much less frequently. Extent – either the whole population is surveyed or it is sampled (e.g. 10% of the population is sampled) and general conclusions are then derived about the whole population.

Not everyone likes censuses.

Infringement of privacy.

Political conditions in a country prevent censuses, for example Nigeria did not have one for 28 years.

Method of Collection – people are ‘counted’ either where they are at a precise moment in time ( de facto ), or according to their normal place of residence ( de jure ).

Frequency – a census taken every 10 years is a common practice; some countries manage every 5 years, others much less frequently.

Extent – either the whole population is surveyed or it is sampled (e.g. 10% of the population is sampled) and general conclusions are then derived about the whole population.

From the Guardian newspaper, Feb 2001 Task: Underline / Highlight in one colour: problems of carrying out the census. Underline / Highlight in another colour: population problems / situation in India. Underline / Highlight in another colour: How they are collecting the census in India.