The world's biggest headcount

[didymus]

The Economist:

The world’s biggest headcount

SOME 6m people in China have been mobilised to conduct a ten-day survey of the world’s largest population. The census is complicated by surging numbers of migrants from rural to urban areas. Debates over the accuracy of the counts will not be laid to rest.

This is China’s sixth nationwide census as a communist country. The previous one, in 2000, was already fiendishly hard because of a loosening of controls on internal migration. Surveys suggest that since then the number of people who have moved out of the countryside and taken up urban residence for more than six months has grown by 85%, to 145m.

Such people will often not tell the authorities they have moved, in order to avoid all the bureaucracy and possible costs involved in registering a new residence. Migrants are particularly fearful of revealing any children born in violation of China’s frequently strict family-planning regulations.

Now officials are trying to convince people that personal data gathered by census takers will be kept secret, even from other government departments. Still, state media reports that many are evading the enumerators. Preliminary data are due to be released in April. The problem will be how to handle the inevitable undercounting.

Good luck!
Americans won’t cooperate with the census despite (rather undignified) begging from their state governments and we don’t we’ve have a police state trying to count us.

 

[agnes_therese]

“Rather undignified begging?” The census is mandated by the Constitution. There shouldn’t have to be any begging.

 

[Erich]

Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution includes the phrase:
[An] Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.
Statute 2 of March 1, 1790 provided that census marshals and assistants be appointed. The marshals were directed to:
…cause the number of the inhabitants within their respective districts to be taken; omitting in such enumeration Indians not taxed, and distinguishing free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, from all others; distinguishing also the sexes and colours of free persons, and the free males of sixteen years and upwards from those under that age.
This is a far cry from the multi-page form with dozens of questions that was sent to one out of every six households in 2000 – probably the main reason why (a) there were only 10 questions this year, and (b) why all the begging to fill out the form.

 

[vz71]

“Rather undignified begging?” The census is mandated by the Constitution. There shouldn’t have to be any begging.

I doubt there would need to be if they simply stuck to what exactly is mandated to be tracked.

I have no issues telling anyone that I am over 16, male, caucasion.
Fulfilling that constitutional requirement, I feel no need to answer any further questions posed by the Census takers.