Censos

Censos are official counts of a population and the dwellings within a country, typically conducted by a government at regular intervals. In Spanish-speaking countries, the term censos is used to refer to national population censuses. They aim to measure size, distribution, and various characteristics of the population and housing, enabling planning and policy-making. Data collected can include age, sex, education, employment, income, ethnicity, housing type, and living conditions. In many countries the census also serves to apportion seats in a legislature and allocate government funds.

Census programs vary by country but commonly follow a decennial cadence, though some nations use quinquennial or rolling approaches. Methods include enumeration of individuals (de jure vs de facto), mail or online self-enumeration, and field interviews. Modern censuses may combine a population census with a housing census and may link to agricultural or business censuses. In addition to official censuses, sample surveys and register-based censuses use administrative records to supplement or replace certain counts, often for cost and privacy reasons.

Historically, censuses date back to ancient civilizations for taxation and military purposes; in the modern era they became standardized tools of demographic measurement. The United Nations has issued guidelines and recommendations to support comparability and statistical quality across countries.

Confidentiality is a core principle: individuals’ responses are typically protected by law and used only for statistical purposes. Data released to the public are aggregated to prevent identification. The census remains a fundamental source for demographic statistics, urban planning, emergency response, and social research.