How long does census take

In view of this, it becomes necessary to base the tabulation of census data on sample basis to provide quick estimates to the census data users. The census would be considered incomplete if the data tabulated in the desired form is not available to the data users in the form in which it suits them.

This calls for high priority to be given to the publication of the census data. Sufficient funds should be allotted for the publication of the census data. The data must be presented by appropriate geographic and administrative divisions and by important demographic variables; evaluation of their accuracy and appraisals of their significance should be included in the census publications.

The maps should also be given in the census publications so as to show each geographic unit for which the statistics are presented. It is not necessary for the Census Organisation to publish all the census data but it may be convenient to supply some of the unpublished data which is used only by the few offices and organisations.

The Census Organisation should make every effort to publish important results as early as possible so that their usefulness and the extent of their interest may not be diminished. It is very necessary to fix the target dates for publication well in advance so that there may not be any difficulty in achieving them. Along with publishing of the Census data, it would be proper that every country may provide a methodological and administrative report.

The report should include specimens of the questionnaires, instructions to the enumerators, information on the cost of the census and planning and organisational aspects and the problems faced at various stages of census operation and the manner in which these have been tackled.

Indian population census organisation with its tentacles spread throughout the country is considered as the largest administrative network in the world. In order to ensure full utility of the population count, Indian census attempts to collect information on various socio-economic characteristics of the entire population.

The population census is one of the most extensive and complicated statistical operations which needs careful planning to avoid defects and inefficiencies.

Careful planning of census is vital to the successful operation of the census. The census operations can broadly be divided into the following sequential phases:. A-Preparatory Work. The preparatory work of census includes enactment or modification of census legislation, creation of administrative organisation, demarcation of administrative units, house-numbering, formulation of census questionnaires, pretesting of census questionnaires, tabulation programme, method of enumeration, plans for data processing, publicity, staff recruitment and training etc.

These are briefly described as follows:. For the success of an operation of such magnitude and importance as the Population Census, it is imperative that it should have the necessary backing of law.

The Census Organisation should be armed with necessary authority to have access to households and canvass the prescribed questionnaires and to expect the people to answer truthfully. The law should also protect the interests of the people by guaranteeing the secrecy of the information collected.

By now most countries have a permanent Census law requiring periodic censuses to be taken in accordance with a scheme to be notified from time to time. If in any country no such permanent law exists, suitable ad-hoc legislative approval should be obtained before launching on a census operation.

In India - a permanent legislation, viz. The Act enjoins upon every citizen to assist in the taking of census. The Act lays down that services of any citizen can be requisitioned for census work and takes obligatory on every person occupying a house, enclosure etc. The law makes it obligatory on the part of every citizen to answer the census question truthfully.

The Act provides penalties for giving false answer or not giving answers at all to the census questionnaire. At the same time, it calls upon the census officers to discharge their duties faithfully and warns them against putting any question to a person which is not covered by the questionnaire and they are required to record the answers as given by the person enumerated. One of the most important provisions of law is the guarantee it provides for the maintenance of secrecy of the information collected at the census of each individual.

The Act requires strict secrecy to be maintained about the individual's record which should not be used for any purpose against the individual except for an offence in connection with the census itself. The census records are not open to inspection and also not admissible in evidence. The answers ascertained at the census can be used only for statistical purposes in which the individual data get submerged.

The success of census, however, depends not so much on the penal provisions in the Act but on the willing co-operation of all concerned. It is the responsibility of every census officer to create such atmosphere in which people may not give false replies to questions because of unnecessary for unfounded fears. In organising a Population Census the primary objective to be achieved is to ensure coverage of the entire area in a great territory, without ommission or overlapping.

Therefore, a fundamental task in preparing for a census involves the location of every local area and building up of a suitable organisation to adequately cover it. Census aims at enumerating every individual. But the operational unit is the physical entity of the household which is generally understood as a group of persons commonly living together and partaking of food from the same kitchen.

A household may occupy an entire house, or more than one household may share a house. In organising a census, one should locate every house and household. In order to achieve this a clear delimitation of territory has to be undertaken by which every single household is accounted for. One should decided fairly early on what should be the smallest unit of territory for which census statistical data are to be presented and also the highest stratum of jurisidiction for which the data will be consolidated and presented.

For example, it has to be decided if the primary census data will be provided for every village or groups of villages, which are sometimes combined for the purpose of local administration, and at the higher level if the data are to be presented for development blocks, electoral constituencies, revenue and police administrative territories and at still higher levels for regions or districts and so on. In building up the census organisation and demarcating jurisdictions at the various levels of hierarchy it is necessary to make them correspond with the pattern of areas for which data will be ultimately presented.

It is obviously advantageous to follow the accepted administrative units for this purpose. A country is generally divided into provinces, prefectures or states and sub-divided into districts and further sub-divided into sub-districts, sub-divisions, taluks etc. The smallest unit of administration will ultimately be a village or a town.

These various administrative levels of jurisdictions are likely to have enduring boundaries unlike electoral constituencies which generally change with population size. The administrative units of territory are generally surveyed and mapped and the collection and presentation of census data for such units from census to census will also have the advantage of providing a time series of data for comparable units.

Also the adoption of the administrative sub-divisions of territory for census purposes will help to press into service the hierarchy of normal administrative machinery for census work and the exercise of control from top to bottom is rendered easier which is so very essential in an intricate operation such as the Population Census. It will be obviously difficult even for the census organisation to keep track of the territorial changes, if they were to take place till the very date of census taking.

It will be necessary to freeze the boundaries atleast a year in advance of the census date and the National and Local Governments should be requested not to effect any changes after that till the census is completed. On the maps being brought up-to-date by the cartographic units of the census offices it is desirable to send them to local officers incharge of the districts or its sub-division to certify to the correctness of all the local units that constitute the larger territory as indicated in the maps.

There may be countries or within the same country some parts which may not have been surveyed and no maps may exist. These will undoubtedly present a problem. Even so, there are bound to be some locally accepted dividing lines between one local area and another. It will be necessary for the census authorities to prepare a list of the areas and define the limits as locally accepted and even roughly mark them out on an outline map.

The map should show all the localities even if they are only approximately demarcated. In some countries one is likely to come across tribal or aboriginal habitations spread in the thick of forest or hilly areas or remote regions and the limits of each such habitations might not have been surveyed and demarcated. In such areas, the jurisdictions of the local forest range offices or the forest beats are generally determined.

Such jurisdictions can be recognised within which the tribal habitations can be listed and located on a map. These will help to see that during actual census enumeration no area is left out and all habitations are accounted for.

It is an advantage to evolve a location code by allotting code numbers to each district, each sub-district and each village or town. These numbers can be marked on the territorial maps. Such a location code will be very convenient for allocating census enumerators to every unit without omission and it is also handy for the enumerator to indicate his area on the enumeration schedules and also useful in tabulation.

This is a good aid to ensure complete coverage of territory. The census enumerators from the bulkwark of the census field organisation and the entire success of the census enumeration depends on the quality and capacity of the census enumerator and the interest he takes. He should be one who can command the confidence of the people and capable of interpreting the census questionnaires properly and evoke appropriate response. The largeness of the size of the population and the vastness of the areas of some of the countries of the region make it difficult to secure the services of adequate number of highly qualified enumerators.

But the recent emphasis on the spread of education has enabled the establishment of a good number of elementary schools throughout the length and breadth of the country and, therefore, the school teachers generally prove to be the best agency to draw upon for appointment as census enumerators.

In urban areas it may be necessary to draw on the services of a good number of central, provincial and local government officials. The charge officers should assess the total requirement of enumerators and supervisors and allow for an adequate reserve to serve as replacements or for any emergent duties and make an inventory of all personnel available for census duties well in advance of the formation of census blocks.

Usually the work of 5 to 10 enumerators is controlled and supervised by census supervisors who should be selected from among persons with higher qualifications and as far as possible may be desirable to appoint them from among the permanent staff of the Government.

The census enumerators and supervisors may be required to generally perform their duties outside their office hours. Countries who have necessary resources pay the enumerators attractive remuneration. Hide the cookie message. Home About the census : Overview What is the census? The online census has now closed Census Day was on Sunday 21 March What happens after Census Day Two follow-up surveys, the Census Coverage Survey and the Census Quality Survey , help to improve the quality and accuracy of the census results.

The last census The last census took place in Next page in this guide is: The Census Coverage Survey. In late July, the Census Bureau began emailing households to remind them to go online and fill out the Census.

The email messages will come from [email protected]. In late August and early September, the Census Bureau is sending another paper questionnaire to the lowest-responding census tracts. The final day for responding to the Census either online, via phone, via mail, or in-person is targeted for Monday, October 5, The Census Interactive Maps were created to display the real-time response rates for parishes across all Louisiana metro areas, along with demographic data, community assets, and other information to inform outreach during the Census survey.

The Census survey ended October 16, How can I complete the Census? You can respond to the Census three ways: online, by telephone, or by mail. And you do not need the digit Census ID code to respond. To fill it out online, go to mycensus. You can use any internet-enabled device cellphone, computer, tablet, etc.

The paper Census surveys is available in English and Spanish. Am I required to answer the census? By law you must complete the census, however, the U. Census Bureau has never prosecuted anyone for not completing the census.

How long does it take to answer the census? About 10 minutes. What questions am I going to be asked? It will also ask if you rent or own your home. You do not have to answer all of the questions, however, if your census is incomplete, a census taker may visit your home to help you complete it. Who should I count in my census response? You should count anyone who is living and sleeping in your home most of the time as of April 1, This includes both family members and roommates, foster children, and friends.

This also includes people in the hospital or even in jail temporarily who normally live with you. Are children included in the census? It is important to count any children living in your home most of the time.

This includes children who split their time between divorced parents, newborn babies, and other children who live with you like grandchildren, the children of friends, or nieces and nephews.

If I have kids away at college, should I count them? Students in college towns use local resources, including roads, and public transportation. If you lived in off-campus housing, you should go online at mycensus. Crocodile living in pond of U. Retired General: Thousands with Canadian ties stuck in Afghanistan. No, the video of a woman refusing to sit next to unvaccinated man on flight isn't real. Court temporarily delays release of Trump's Jan.

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