2.8. The list of topics included in these global recommendations for population censuses are based on the global and regional census experience of the last several dec- ades. The topics included here are, with minor revisions, the same as those included in the previous United Nations population census recommendations,35 with the addition
of a topic on agriculture, indigenous peoples, informal employment, cause of deaths in broad categories and deaths of children born alive in the last 12 months.
2.9. It should be stressed that no country should attempt to cover all the topics included in the list of population topics (see para. 2.16). Rather, countries will need to make their selection of topics in the light of the considerations discussed in paragraphs 2.1–2.7 above, bearing in mind current regional recommendations pertaining to cen- sus topics. In using the classifications of different topics presented in part two of the
Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, it is necessary
to outline that all the one- and two-digit classification levels are recommended, while those at the three-digit level are incorporated for illustrative and guidance purposes.
2.10. Evolving census experience over the past several decades globally and in the regions has demonstrated that a set of topics exist on which there is consider- able agreement in regard both to their importance and to the feasibility of collecting the data for them in a census. Data on those within this set likely to present difficul- ties in terms of data collection or processing are probably best collected for only a sample of the population. The exceptions to this consensus occur, at one extreme, among the countries with the most developed statistical systems, where adequate data on a number of the topics listed, including some of the core ones, are available from non-census sources; and, at the other, among the countries in which data-collection opportunities are limited and it is felt that advantage must be taken of the possibilities offered by the census to investigate topics that, under better circumstances, might be investigated more suitably by other means.
2.11. Although the set of topics covered in these recommendations is quite comprehensive in terms of topics generally considered suitable for inclusion in a population census, it is also recognized that a few countries may find it necessary to include one or more additional topics of particular national or local interest. However, before the final decision is made to include any such additional topics, their suitability should be carefully tested.
2.12. To assist countries in using the present publication and in determining their own priorities, lists of recommended population topics are summarized in para- graph 2.16, with the core topics shown in boldface. These core topics correspond to those that were included as “priority topics” in the majority of the regional recommen- dations in previous census decades.
2.13. The topics listed in paragraph 2.16 are grouped under nine headings: “Geographical and internal migration characteristics”, “International migration characteristics”, “Household and family characteristics”, “Demographic and social characteristics”, “Fertility and mortality”, “Educational characteristics”, “Economic characteristics”, “Disability characteristics” and “Agriculture”.
2.14. Within each heading, a distinction is made between topics collected directly (those that appear in the census schedule or questionnaire), and derived top- ics. The former are those for which data are collected by a specific item on the census. Although data for the derived topics also come from information in the questionnaire, they do not necessarily come from replies to a specific question. “Total population”, for example, is derived from a count of the persons entered in the questionnaires as
35 Principles and Recommendations
for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 1, Statistical
Papers No. 67 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.98. XVII.8).
35 Principles and Recommendations
for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 1, Statistical
Papers No. 67 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.98. XVII.8).
persons present or resident in each geographical unit. Such derived topics may per- haps be more correctly considered as tabulation components, but they are listed as topics in order to emphasize the fact that the questionnaire must in some way yield this information.
2.15. The paragraph numbers in parentheses after each entry in paragraph 2.16 refer either to the paragraphs in which the group of topics as a whole is discussed in section D below or to the paragraphs in which the definition and specifications of individual topics are discussed.
2.16. In the following list of population census topics, core topics are shown in bold and are represented by for topics that are collected directly, and by for those
that are derived. Additional topics are represented by .
table 1
List of population census topics
1. Geographical and internal migration characteristics (paras. 2.44–2.88)
(a) Place of usual residence (paras. 2.46–2.51) (b) Place where present at time of census (paras. 2.52–2.56) (c) Place of birth (paras. 2.57–2.63) (d) Duration of residence (paras. 2.64–2.66) (e) Place of previous residence (paras. 2.67–2.68) (f) Place of residence at a specified date in the past (paras. 2.69–2.70) (g) Total population (paras. 2.71–2.77) (h) Locality (paras. 2.78–2.80) (i) Urban and rural (paras. 2.81–2.88)
2. International migration characteristics (paras. 2.89–2.106)
(a) Country of birth (paras. 2.93–2.96) (b) Citizenship (paras. 2.97–2.102) (c) Year or period of arrival (paras. 2.103–2.106)
3. Household and family characteristics (paras. 2.107–2.132)
(a) Relationship to head or other reference member of household (paras. 2.114–2.123) (b) Household and family composition (paras. 2.124–2.131) (c) Household and family status (para.2.132)
4. Demographic and social characteristics (paras. 2.133–2.167)
(a) Sex (para. 2.134) (b) Age (paras. 2.135–2.143) (c) Marital status (paras. 2.144–2.151) (d) religion (paras. 2.152–2.155) (e) Language (paras. 2.156–2.159) (f) ethnicity (paras. 2.160–2.162) (g) Indigenous peoples 2.163–2.167)
5. Fertility and mortality (paras. 2.168–2.201)
(a) Children ever born alive (paras. 2.180–2.185) (b) Children living (paras. 2.186–2.187) (c) Date of birth of last child born alive (paras. 2.188–2.191) Legend:
Core topic Core topic, derived additional topic Legend: Core topic Core topic, derived additional topic
(d) Births in the past 12 months (para. 2.189) (e) Deaths among children born in the past 12 months (para. 2.191) (f) age, date or duration of first marriage (para. 2.192) (g) age of mother at birth of first child born alive (para. 2.193) (h) Household deaths in the past 12 months (paras. 2.194–2.198) (i) Maternal or paternal orphanhood (paras. 2.199–2.201)
6. Educational characteristics (paras. 2.202–2.230)
(a) Literacy (paras. 2.202–2.208) (b) School attendance (paras. 2.209–2.214) (c) Educational attainment (paras. 2.215–2.222) (d) Field of education and educational qualifications (paras. 2.223–2.230)
7. Economic characteristics (paras. 2.231–2.349)
(c) Activity status (paras. 2.240–2.300) (e) Occupation (paras. 2.301–2.305) (f) Industry (paras. 2.306–2.309) (g) Status in employment (paras. 2.310–2.321) (h) time worked (paras. 2.322–2.329) (j) Income (paras. 2.330–2.334) (k) Institutional sector of employment (paras. 2.335–2.336) (l) employment in the informal sector (paras. 2.337–2.341) (m) Informal employment (paras. 2.342–2.345) (n) Place of work (paras. 2.346–2.349)
8. Disability characteristics (paras. 2.350–2.380)
Disability status (paras. 2.351–2.352)
9. Agriculture (paras. 2.381–2.390)