Census

The census in France

In France, the censuses are organized by the National institute of the statistics and the economic studies (INSEE).

Under the Ancien Mode the enumerations were expressed in " fires " this word being taken in the direction hearth , family. To estimate the number of inhabitants according to that given in fires one can apply the multiplying coefficient 5. Thus for a population of 34 fires one obtains 170 inhabitants. These enumerations gave the number of gabellants (prone 8 years and more), the Gabelle being a tax on salt. As of 1790, the concept of fires disappears.

Before the French revolution, very few censuses is organized on the unit territory. One can quote that of the bookseller Claude-Sailor Saugrain, “Enumeration of the Kingdom” (published in 1709 and reactualized in 1720) and that of the abbot Jean-Joseph Expilly (about 1760) “Gazetteer, historical and policy of Gaules and France”.

Since 1801, a general census of the population was organized every five years, until in 1946 (except some removed or delayed in time of war). This operation being considered to be too expensive and difficult to organize, the successive governments tried to space the date of the following census. The last two general censuses took place in 1990 and 1999. This nine years interval was too long compared to the speed of evolution of demographic reality .

Since January 1st 2004, the general censuses were replaced by a system of permanent census.

Use of the figures of population for a common

Calculation of the total equipment of operation (DGF) of a commune.
Determination of the number of city council men.
Determination of the mode of Poll.
Creation of dispensaries of Pharmacy.
Regulation of urban posting.

common S of less 10 000 inhabitants

They are the subject of an exhaustive census every five years, at a rate of a fifth of the communes each year. These groups, establish by decree, were made up on exclusively statistical criteria. Thus, each year, the whole of the communes of the one of these groups proceed to the census of their population.

Communes of 10 000 inhabitants or more

They carry out every year a Sample survey near 8% of the listed addresses.

Procedure

They are the census takers, of the public agents recruited by the mayor which are responsible for the collection of information. They received all a training, given by the commune and INSEE. They have a tricolor chart with photography, signed by the mayor and who officializes their function. They are held with the professional secrecy.

The census takers visit each hearth chosen to be listed starting from the January 20th, and deposit in the residence concerned the following documents:

Sheet of housing
Bulletin for each person usually living in listed housing.
Information record on the census and the current questions that people can be posed.

The census taker can help with the filling of the questionnaires. Those will be recovered when they are filled. The investigation of census lasts 4 or 5 weeks. To take part in the census is a civic act. It is also an obligation according to the law of the June 7th 1951.

The results of the annual inquiry will be available as from September of each year on the site of INSEE].

List censuses in France

general Censuses: 1801, 1806, 1821, 1826, 1831, 1836, 1841, 1846, 1851, 1856, 1861, 1866, 1872, 1876, 1881, 1886, 1891, 1896, 1901, 1906, 1911, 1921, 1926, 1931, 1936, 1946, 1954, 1962, 1968, 1975, 1982, 1990, 1999.
Since 2004, system of permanent census.

See also: Census of population in France, which contains two synoptic tables of the information likely to be found by the researcher with the reading of the Lists of names of the population , of 1831 with 1975.

The census in the United States

The census in Switzerland

See also: genealogical Research in Suisse#Recensements

The census in Belgium

In Belgium the first census was organized in 1846 by the " Statistical office Générale" and the " Central commission of Statistique" under the direction of Adolphe Quételet. The work method was largely inspired by the census of 1829 under the Dutch mode. The résutats were cumulated by commune. The following census goes back to 1856 and a law envisaged the organization of the investigation consequently every ten years.

The last census was held on March 1st 1991. Following a modification of law on the matter, it from now on is abolished.
Le October 1st 2001, INS organized a last " Socio-economic investigation générale" , addressed to all the people registered in the register of the population at this time. Rate of participation for this last investigation amounted to 96,9%, higher by three percent to that of the last traditional census of 1991.

As of the census of 1846, one inquired into the use of the spoken language; as from 1866, on the knowledge and the use of other languages (the linguistic Census). This part of the census which will become prone of political controversy between the communities Dutch-speaking and French-speaking of the country at the beginning of last century, will be carried out for the last time in 1947, to be abolished in 1962 when the linguistic border was established. Since, there are no more official statistics available on the use and the knowledge of the languages in Belgium.

List censuses in Belgium

October 15th, 1846
December 31st, 1856
December 31st, 1866
December 31st, 1880
December 31st, 1890
December 31st, 1900
December 31st, 1910
December 31st, 1920
December 31st, 1930
December 31st, 1947 (the census envisaged in 1940 was cancelled because of the Second world war)
December 31st, 1960
December 31st, 1970
March 1st, 1981
March 1st, 1991

See too

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