| title | layout | category |
|---|---|---|
Censuses |
article |
population |
It is important to realise that censuses don't just collect demographic data, but that they also collect information regarding employment, education, community patterns etc.
National Information Obtained
- Can look at trends over the previous ten years and project how these trends will move forwards to enable planning to take place.
- Censuses can help project future demand for jobs.
- They can help project natural change and immigration changes.
- They enable the planning of services such as schools and hospitals.
- They enable to projection of national housing demands.
- They offer a snapshot of the diversity of the country.
Regional Information Obtained
- Enabled regional plans to be developed to cater for anticipated natural increase/decrease and changes in migration.
- Enables services to be located close to demand.
- Assists the provision of essential utilities.
- Locates areas of depravation based on grid squares and postcodes.
Information For Business & Commercial Interest
- Enables targeted marketing using information based on postcodes.
- Enables firms to locate in areas where people and required skills are available.
Why Do People Dislike Censuses?
- Some see them as an invasion of their privacy.
- Political conditions in a country can make censuses difficult or even dangerous to carry out. For example, Nigeria didn't have a senses for 28 years.
Methods 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.
Frequency
Censuses normally take place every ten years. Some countries carry out one every 5 years, others with a much lower frequency.
Extent
Either the whole population is surveyed or just a small sample (i.e. 10% of the population) and general conclusions are then derived about the whole population.
What Data is Collected?
- Age - 0 - 5, 6 - 10, 11 - 15 etc.
- Sex & Gender - Male / Female
- Education - Primary, Secondary, Higher education. Qualifications, years of school completed etc.
- Occupation - Permanent, temporary, unskilled, unemployed etc.
- Religion - Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jedi, no religion etc.
- Socio-economic Status - Indicator of social class. In the UK, A1 = Richest & F5 = Poorest.
- Ethnicity - White, Black etc.
- Marital Status - Married, single etc.