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Enumerating the Netherlands

Enumerating the Netherlands. Census history 1795 – 1971 and digitization efforts drs. L.J.G. Schreven, SOO, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) LSHN@cbs.nl. Structure of presentation . Census history 1795 – 1971 Digitization efforts. What is a census?.

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Enumerating the Netherlands

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  1. Enumerating the Netherlands Census history 1795 – 1971 and digitization efforts drs. L.J.G. Schreven, SOO, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) LSHN@cbs.nl

  2. Structure of presentation • Census history 1795 – 1971 • Digitization efforts

  3. What is a census? • A count of something usually people or property • Thousands of years old • A modern Population Census may be defined as the total process of collecting, compilingandpublishing demographic, economic and social data pertaining to all persons in a country at a specified time.

  4. Census History 1795 – 1889

  5. Census History 1899 – 1971

  6. Main census objectives • To determine the size of the population on a fixed point in time (statistical objective) • To check the reliability of the population registers (administrative objective) • To examine the demographic and social-economic characteristics of the population (social objective)

  7. Population Size (statistical objective) • Two methods: • ‘de jure’: counting the legal population • ‘de facto’: counting the factual population • Factual population counted only in 1849, 1859 and 1869

  8. Main census objectives • To determine the size of the population on a fixed point in time (statistical objective) • To check the reliability of the population registers (administrative objective) • To examine the demographic and social-economic characteristics of the population (social objective)

  9. Population register(administrative objective)

  10. Main census objectives • To determine the size of the population on a fixed point in time (statistical objective) • To check the reliability of the population registers (administrative objective) • To examine the demographic and social-economic characteristics of the population (social objective)

  11. Population characteristics(social objective) • A census provides detailed information on various topics. This information can be very useful for policy decisions: • employment and housing • educational planning • traffic planning • Etc.

  12. The end of an era • In 1971 the last general census was held. Why? Unwilling population! • Causes: • World War 2 • Big Brother • Computerised data • Consequences: • Public protest • Media attention • Political pressure

  13. Results • A new law (1970) • Delaying the census until 1971. • Still there were some people unwilling to cooperate 1980 A census test showed an average unwillingness of 26 percent. In big urban areas this rose to almost 60 percent 1981 census was first postponed, later it was cancelled

  14. Register counts supplemented by random sample surveys. After 1971

  15. (dis)advantages • Disadvantages: • regional splitting of data is impossible • Advantages: • Lower costs • Faster results

  16. Summary • Decennial censuses between 1829 and 1971 • Privacy controversy leads to cancelling 1981 census • Censuses are replaced by register counts and surveys

  17. Introduction to census project • 1997 - 1999: • Scanning 200 books, 42.500 pages • Data-entry aggregate census data 1899 • 2002 - March 2004: • Validation and correction of aggregate census data 1795-1859 and 1930 • archiving digital census microdata 1960 and 1971 • March 2003 – July 2006: • Life Courses in Context (see: http://www.lifecoursesincontext.nl) • Data-entry of aggregate census data 1869-1956 • Documentation, harmonization, access and research

  18. Introduction II • Main objective: • Source accurate digital copies of aggregate census tables 1795 – 1971 • Partners: • Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences: • Netherlands Institute for Scientific Informationservices (NIWI-KNAW) • Data Archiving and Networked Service (DANS) • International Institute for Social History (IISG) • Historical Databank of Dutch Municipalities • University of Nijmegen

  19. What has been realized? • (restricted) Access to original micro data files for 1960 and 1971 census • New English website up and running • www.dutchcensusdata.nl • 40.000 pages of aggregate census data • Documentation is available

  20. Population per municipality in 1795 In 1795 Amsterdam is the biggest city with 217.024 “souls” Klein-Waspik is the smallest hamlet with 3 inhabitants; a total of 1807 municipalities are mentioned in the census. Source: http://www.nidi.nl/

  21. Any questions? • URL’s: • www.volkstellingen.nl • www.dutchcensusdata.nl • E-mail: • volkstellingen@dans.knaw.nl • LSHN@cbs.nl

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