Censuses (cont.)

Advantages and disadvantages of a census

Listed below are some of the advantages and disadvantages to censuses.

Advantages Disadvantages
  • The coverage aims to be universal
  • The census provides an important sampling frame for subsequent surveys and studies
  • The census can serve as a useful tool for ‘nation-building’, by involving the entire population
  • Census data avoids the sampling errors that can occur with sample data
  • Censuses provide data for small areas, such as districts and counties, which is vital for the planning of services
  • The size and complexity of the exercise means that the content and quality control efforts may be limited
  • The cost of carrying out a census means that most countries can pursue an enumeration only every ten years
  • There is usually a significant delay between when the data are collected and the results released. Typically this delay is between 18 months to two years, and means that the census only offers a snapshot of the population at some point in the past
  • Censuses are easily politicised – either by groups who feel that they might be systematically undercounted by the exercise, or by parties with a vested interest in seeking to ensure that their group’s population is found to be larger than that of other groups