Population data comes from various primary and secondary sources. Primary sources include censuses, vital registration systems, sample surveys, and administrative records. Censuses provide comprehensive demographic data and can be conducted via de facto or de jure methods. Vital registration systems record vital events like births and deaths. Sample surveys collect data from selected households to infer characteristics of the entire population. Administrative records contain population information collected by various government authorities.

1. Sources of
Population data
Manish Kumar kothe

2. Sources of Population Data
Population data are the indicators of the
various information of population like birth, death,
migration, age, sex, marital status, religion, literacy,
language, occupation, etc. Such data help to formulate
and implement the various policies and planning in a
country. Economic, social, cultural and political
development takes place on the basis of the data.
Population data can be found from various sources.

3. On the basis of the nature of data, they can be
classified into two groups as follows:
• 1. Primary sources : First- hand data which are
collected by thecensus, vital registration, sample
survey, administrative records, population register, etc
are primary sources of population data.
• 2. Secondary sources : The data which are found from
individual person, organizations, agencies, books,
journals, magazines, annual reports, etc. are secondary
sources of population data.

4. Among the various sources of population data on
the basis of method, following are most frequently
used resources
•Census
•Vital registration
•Sample surveys
•Administrative records

5. Census
• Census is the main source of demographic data. UN (1970) defines census as “the
total process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing and publishing
demographic, economic and social data pertaining at a specified time to all
persons in a country or in a well- delimited territory of a country”
• Census can be conducted on the basis of two methods:
• De facto method : The method of thecensus which can be conducted on the basis of usual
place of residence is called 'de facto method'. This type of census is conducted at night.
Therefore, this type of census enumeration is called ‘one- night enumeration’. This type of
census is possible in urban areas of countries with highly educated people.
• De jure method : The method of thecensus which can be conducted on the basis of
permanent place of residence is called de jure method. It is considered as more practical and
scientific. It is also called ‘period enumeration’. This method is applied in Nepal. In Nepal,
instead of taking acensus on the basis of permanent resident,a resident of 6 months and over
is taken Therefore, the method of census taking in Nepal is ‘modified de jure’.

6. Vital Registration System
• Vital Registration System (VRS) is also known as Civil Registration System. In a
simple sense, recording of birth and death is vital registration. In this system,
various vital events like birth, death, marriage, divorce and migration are
recorded. UN experts have defined vital registration as “a legal registration,
statistical recording, and reporting of the occurrence of vital events which includes
live birth, death, fetal death, miscarriage, divorce, annulment, legal separation and
marriage”
• It was first started in England in the16th century. It was started in Nepal in 1st
Baisakh 2034 BS in 10 districts. The coverage of the system was increased in 17
districts in 2035 BS, 34 districts in 2037 BS, 40 districts in 2038 BS and all 75
districts in 2047 BS. After 2050 BS, the Registrar’s office was shifted under the
Ministry of Local Development. All VDC’s and Municipalities run this
system locally in Nepal

7. National Sample survey
• National Sample survey is also another important source of population data.
Complete national enumeration is conducted in the survey. Data are collected in
only some selected household and population in order to infer the characteristics
of the entire population. It can be defined as the process of collecting, compiling,
evaluating and publishing demographic, social and economic data about the
sampled population in order to infer the general behaviour of the entire population
of a place or a country in a given time period. The sample survey was started in
England in the19th century. If it is conducted in regular interval of time, census
operation is not needed. For example, census is not conducted in Afghanistan.
• The sample survey has the following operational processes:
Determination of objectives Determination of samples and methodology
Questionnaire design Training and pre-testing of tools
Finalization of tool Collection of data
Editing and coding Data entry into computer and processing
Tabulation and analysis Publication of final reports

8. • These are the information on population collected by different administrative
authorities. Useful and necessary data are kept as a record in different offices.
• Some of the administrative records are as follows:-
• List of citizenship
• Telephone directory
• Voter’s list
• Taxpayer’s list
• List of electricity consumers
• List of school students, etc.
Administrative records

9. Other Sources