All Things Census

Divergent World Population Trends

D'Vera Cohn — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:24:33 +0000

The Population Reference Bureau released its 2010 World Population Data Sheet today, focusing on the theme of divergent demographics in developed and developing nations. Population is barely growing in developed nations, where birth rates tend to be low and the number of elderly is increasing rapidly. Developing nations, where birth rates are higher, are projected [...]

Federal Funding and the American Community Survey

D'Vera Cohn — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:43:08 +0000

Data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey help guide the distribution of 29% of federal domestic assistance spending and 69% of federal grant spending, according to a new Brookings Institution report. In dollar figures, that was $416 billion in assistance spending and $389.2 billion in grant funding during the 2008 fiscal year. The report [...]

United Kingdom May Drop Traditional Census

D'Vera Cohn — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:28:17 +0000

The United Kingdom will conduct a traditional census next year, but it may be the last of its kind, according to the British Cabinet minister in charge of the count. Francis Maude told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that there are ways to “provide better, quicker information, more frequently and cheaper.” Britain has conducted a census [...]

Canada’s Chief Statistician Quits Over Census Changes

D'Vera Cohn — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:27:44 +0000

The head of Statistics Canada has resigned over the government’s decision to drop the mandatory long form in the 2011 Census, stating that the voluntary survey that will be instituted in its place is not an adequate substitute. The resignation statement by Munir A. Sheikh declined to explain what advice he and his agency gave [...]

Former Census Director: Rewrite Race Question

D'Vera Cohn — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:00:18 +0000

Many Americans were puzzled or irritated by the questions about race and Hispanic ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. Some did not want to declare a race, others did not think they fit the available categories and still others wondered why the government should ask the question. Kenneth Prewitt, who directed the Census Bureau during [...]

Census 2010: Quality Indicators Thus Far

D'Vera Cohn — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:56:03 +0000

As the 2010 Census information-gathering phase winds down and the Census Bureau turns to quality-checking and data-processing, Director Robert Groves offered some statistics at a recent operational briefing to assess how the national count has gone thus far. One indicator, the quality of the address list, appears to have improved since the 2000 Census. Another, [...]

Should the American Community Survey Be Voluntary?

D'Vera Cohn — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:47:28 +0000

What would happen if Americans were not required by law to respond to census surveys? This is of interest because Canadian government officials have decided to drop the mandatory long form in next year’s census and replace it with a voluntary household survey. All Canadian households will still be required to answer basic questions on [...]

Canadian Census Eliminates the Long Form

D'Vera Cohn — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:44:46 +0000

Statistics Canada has announced that the nation’s 2011 Census will include the same eight basic questions that were asked of everyone in the 2006 count, and that the mandatory long form will be replaced with a voluntary survey. The census long form went to one-in-five households and had been part of the national census for [...]

Census 2010: Non-response Follow-up Wrapping Up

D'Vera Cohn — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:53:25 +0000

In a posting on his blog, Census Bureau Director Robert Groves says that census-takers are nearly done with knocking on doors of households from which 2010 Census forms were not received. As of June 28, 99.6% of the interviews were completed. The bureau is conducting quality-assurance audits to make sure the interviews were conducted correctly [...]

Census Data on Childless Women

D'Vera Cohn — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:51:40 +0000

A new report on childless women from the Pew Research Center uses data from the Current Population Survey to track recent trends and describe this group’s demographic characteristics. The report finds that childlessness among 40-44-year-old women has risen in all racial and ethnic groups, and most education levels, but has declined over the past decade [...]