Population and housing censuses by country

This is a list of national population and housing censuses.

World map showing countries' most recent censuses as of 2020

Census advisory

The United Nations recommends a census enumeration at least once every ten years, and once every five years for even better data, rather than simply relying on estimates and projections alone. Complications to carrying out a census include tribal conflict, war, borders not demarcated, budget, inexperience, political snags, lack of manpower, and poor geographic information systems. A number of nations have not carried them out once a decade. It is not uncommon for a scheduled census to be deferred or delayed.

Lebanon has not held a census since 1932. Afghanistan is closing in on four decades without a census. DRC and Uzbekistan stand out as not having a census since before 1990. Madagascar has not had counts since the 1990s. Eritrea has only had one as a part of Ethiopia in the 1990s.

Methods of conducting population census

More countries are switching to using administrative data to hold a census. This allows a simulated census to be conducted by linking several different administrative databases at an agreed time.

Using administrative data/combined data	Using collected data
Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland	United Kingdom, United States, Japan

Africa

Algeria

Population and housing censuses have been carried out in Algeria in 1967, 1977, 1987, 1998, 2008. and 2018.

Angola

General censuses of population and housing (Portuguese: Recenseamento Geral da População e Habitação (RGPH)) have been carried out in 1970 and 2014. The 1970 census counted 5,646,166 habitants. Preliminary results of the 2014 census have been published and final results will be published by the end of 2015. The 2014 census counted 25,789,024 habitants as of May 16, 2014.

Benin

Population and housing censuses have been carried out in 1978, 1992, 2002 and 2013. 2013 census preliminary results have been published. Final results were published in 2015.

Botswana

Censuses in Botswana are run by the Statistics Botswana (formerly Central Statistics Office). There have been twelve censuses in Botswana's history. The most recent occurred in April 2022.

Burkina Faso

The Institut National de la Statistique et de la Demographie has conducted four censuses: in 1975, 1985, 1996, and 2006.

Congo (DRC)

The first and so far only census conducted in DR Congo dates from 1984.

Egypt

The Statistical Department of the Ministry of Finance conducted the first census in 1882, which considered as a preparatory step; the first true population census was conducted in 1897. Thereafter, censuses were conducted at ten-year intervals in 1907, 1917, 1927 and so on. The last one being in 2017.

Ethiopia

Three censuses have been taken in Ethiopia: 1984, 1994 and in 2007. The responsible institution is the Central Statistical Agency. Most of the census in 2007 was taken in August, while the Somali Region and the Afar Region were not covered. The northern Afar region is a remote, hot and arid area. The eastern Somali region (Ogaden) hosts a large nomadic Somali population and is a conflict area where Ethiopian regular forces are fighting against Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).

Ivory Coast

Four general censuses of population and housing (French: Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat (RGPH)) have been carried out in, the latest ones being in 1998 and 2014.

Kenya

The first census in Kenya was conducted in 1948, when Kenya was still a colony administered by the British. Since 1969 census has been taken every ten years. The last census, overseen by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, was in 2019 and recorded a population of 47.6 million.

Mauritius

Population and housing censuses for Mauritius was collected in 1972, 1983, 2000, and 2011; although respondents were asked to identify their race/ethnic origin in the 1972 census, this question was dropped from the following censuses because "the government felt that it was a divisive question". The Statistics Act directed that all official censuses be conducted by Statistics Mauritius, as well as serve as the central depository for this information.

Morocco

General censuses of population and housing (Arabic: الإحصاء العام للسكان والسكنى / French: Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat (RGPH)) have been carried out since independence in 1960, 1971, 1982, 1994, 2004 and 2014. The 2014 census results will be published on http://rgph-2014.hcp.ma/ by the end of 2014.

Mozambique

The first census was taken in 1980. The second in 1997. The third was taken August 1–14, 2007. The fourth and most recent was taken in 2017.

Namibia

In accordance with the Statistics Act No. 66 of 1976, Namibia conducts a Population and Housing Census every ten years. After independence the first one was carried out in 1991, further rounds followed in 2001 and 2011. In Namibia, the de facto method is used. For enumeration purposes the country is demarcated into 4,042 enumeration areas. These areas do not overlap with constituency boundaries to get reliable data for election purposes as well.

Nigeria

Population censuses have been taken in Nigeria during colonial time in 1866, 1871, 1896, 1901, 1911, 1921 and 1952. The censuses covered only the southern part of the country except for the 1952 census which was country wide, and the censuses before 1921 were based on administrative estimates rather than on an actual enumeration.

Censuses during independence were taken 1962, 1963, 1973, 1991 and 2006. The results of the 1962 census were considered inaccurate enough that a new census was ordered on February 19, 1963. The results from 1973 and 2006 were highly disputed, but no recounts were taken. The preliminary results for 2006 indicates a population of 140 million people. 700,000 enumerators were engaged in this operation.

Rwanda

Rwandan flag

Coat of arms of Rwanda

Demographic and historical evolution of the Rwandan population since the first official census carried out in 1978.
N.	Year	Population Rwanda	Population and Housing Census
20th century
1st	1978	4,831,527
2nd	1991	7,157,551
21st century
3rd	2002	8,128,553
4th	2012	10,515,973
5th	2022	13,246,394

Somalia

There has been only one successful census in Somalia, carried out in 1975. The 1986 census remained incomplete, and its results were never published.

South Africa

The Cape of Good Hope conducted the first modern scientific census in 1865, following the principles laid down by the British Colonial Office and repeated the exercise in 1875 and 1891.23 The Orange Free State followed in 1880 and 1890, copying many of the features of the Cape of Good Hope.24 The South African Republic (Transvaal) followed in 1890.However, the enumeration was restricted to the White population. After the South African War of 1899–1902, all the colonies undertook censuses in April 1904, but although broad coordination took place the results were presented according to the views of the four individual census commissioners.28 The detailed coordination of censuses evident in pre-federation Australia was therefore not in evidence in South Africa. The establishment of the Union of South Africa as a British dominion in 1910 necessitated a new start to enumeration in the country and the statistical definition of the new state and ordering of its population through the census. The first census of Union of South Africa was taken in 1911. Several enumerations have occurred since then, with the most recent three being carried out by Statistics South Africa in 1996, 2001, 2011 and 2022.

Sudan

Population censuses have been carried out in Sudan in 1955/56, 1973 (national), 1983 (national) and 1993 (only north). A census was conducted in April 2008. Some areas—namely Darfur, Juba, and Malakal—were difficult to measure.^{[citation needed]}

Togo

General population and housing censuses were carried out in 1960, 1970, 1981 and 2010.

Tunisia

General censuses of population and housing (French: Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat (RGPH)) have been carried out in 1921, 1926, 1931, 1936, 1946, 1956, 1966, 1975, 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2014. First results (20%) were published on September 12, 2014, the final results will be published between January and December 2015.

Uganda

The first censuses in Uganda were taken in 1911, 1921 and 1931. It was done in a rather primitive way. The enumeration unit was 'huts' and not individuals. More scientific censuses were taken 1948 and 1959 where the enumeration unit was persons. The census was however divided into two separate enumerations, one for Africans, and one for the non-African population.

The censuses during independence 1969, 1980, 1991 were taken jointly for all races. The censuses 1980 and 1991 included housing information and in addition a larger questionnaire for a sample of the population. However, the questionnaires for the 1980 were lost and only provisional figures are available from this census.

The census in 2002 involved some 50,000 enumerators and supervisors. It covered several topics including: population and housing; agriculture; and Micro- and small Enterprises administered at individual/household level. The Preliminary Results were published two weeks after the enumeration. The Final Results were released in March 2005, while the analytical findings and the district level results were scheduled to be released in the second quarter of 2006.

The most recent census was in August 2014.

National population censuses are carried out in Argentina roughly every ten years, the last ones having been carried out in 2001, October 27, 2010 and May 18, 2022.

Ugandan flag

Coat of arms of Uganda

Demographic and historical evolution of the Ugandan population since the first official census carried out in 1911.
N.	Year	Population Uganda	Population and Housing Census
20th century
	1911	2,466,325	1911 Colonial census
	1921	2,854,608	1921 Colonial census
	1931	3,542,281	1931 Colonial census
	1948	4,958,520	1948 Colonial census
	1959	6,536,616	1959 Colonial census
1st	1969	9,535,051
2nd	1980	12,636,179
3rd	1991	16,671,705
21st century
4th	2002	24,227,297
5th	2014	34,634,650
6th	2024	45,905,417

Americas

Antigua and Barbuda

Population & Housing Censuses was carried out in 1991, 2001, and 2011. The 2011 census was released in May 2014.

Argentina

National population censuses are carried out in Argentina roughly every ten years, the last ones having been carried out in 2001, October 27, 2010 and May 18, 2022.

Argentinian flag

Coat of arms

Demographic and historical evolution of the Argentinian population since the first official census carried out in 1869.
N.	Year	Population Argentina	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1869	1,877,490
2nd	1895	4,044,911
20th century
3rd	1914	7,903,662
4th	1947	15,893,811
5th	1960	20,013,793
6th	1970	23,364,431
7th	1980	27,949,480
8th	1991	32,615,528
21st century
9th	2001	36,260,140
10th	2010	40,117,096
11th	2022	45,892,285

Barbados

Censuses on population sizes in Barbados are conducted by the Barbados Statistical Service (BSS). The last major census was conducted in 2021.

Bolivia

Bolivia became independent from Spain on August 6, 1825, and since that time the country has managed to carry out around 11 population and housing censuses throughout its history as an independent country.

The first population census of Bolivia was carried out in 1831 and four years later the second census was carried out in 1835, the third in 1845, the fourth in 1854 and finally the fifth census was in 1882, this being the last 19th century census.

During the 20th century, Bolivia only carried out four censuses; the first at the beginning of the century in 1900 and the second census was in 1950 (after 50 years) already in the middle of the 20th century. The next census was carried out 26 years later in 1976 and the next census was carried out after 16 years in 1992, this being also the last of the century.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Bolivia carried out a new population census in 2001 and after 11 years the next census was carried out again in 2012. Currently and after 12 years, Bolivia will carry out its third census on March 23, 2024, this being the third population and housing census of the century

Bolivian flag

Coat of arms of Bolivia

Demographic and historical evolution of the Bolivian population since the first official census carried out in 1831.
N.	Year	Population Bolivia	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1831	1,088,768
2nd	1835	1,060,777
3rd	1845	1,378,896
4th	1854	2,326,126
5th	1882	1,172,156
20th century
6th	1900	1,766,451
7th	1950	2,704,165
8th	1976	4,613,419	1976 Bolivian census
9th	1992	6,420,792	1992 Bolivian census
21st century
10th	2001	8,274,325	2001 Bolivian census
11th	2012	10,059,856	2012 Bolivian census
12th	2024	11,312,620	2024 Bolivian census
National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia (INE)

Brazil

The Brazilian census is carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics every 10 years. The last one was in 2010. Earlier censuses were taken in 1872 (the first), 1900, 1920, 1941, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1991, 2000 and 2010.

Brazil's Demographic Census is one of the most hierarchical collection of census data in the world. Its hierarchies include: Brazil (Country), Major Regions, States, Macro-regions, micro-regions, municipalities, districts, sub-districts, Neighborhoods and census tracts.

Depending on the administrative hierarchy, some types of data are not published to respect confidentiality.

For example:

The lower area of data collection is the census tract, with approximately 300 households, and information is collected on age, condition of the home, gender, income, among others.
Districts: information on race, color, religion, disability, etc.
Municipalities (cities): in addition to the information already described, there is information of GDP, industrial production, agricultural production, migration between cities to study or work, to live migration, inflation, employment rates, number of industries, the quantity of trade, etc.

Information is collected with handheld computers equipped with GPS receivers and digitized maps.

Next census was scheduled to begin August 1, 2020 but was delayed two times due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Census is scheduled to begin on August 1, 2022. More than one million people applied for 206.891 positions.

Brazilian flag

Coat of arms of Brazil

Demographic and historical evolution of the Brazilian population since the first official census carried out in 1872.
N.	Year	Population Brazil	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1872	9,930,478	1872 Brazilian census
2nd	1890	14,333,915
20th century
3rd	1900	17,438,434
4th	1920	30,635,605
5th	1940	41,236,315
6th	1950	51,944,397
7th	1960	70,992,343
8th	1970	94,508,583
9th	1980	121,150,573
10th	1991	146,917,459
21st century
11th	2000	169,590,693	2000 Brazilian census
12th	2010	190,755,799	2010 Brazilian census
13th	2022	203,062,512	2022 Brazilian census

Canada

The Canadian census is run by Statistics Canada. The 1666 census of New France was conducted by French intendant Jean Talon, when he took a census to ascertain the number of people living in New France. The method and data was later used when Canada was founded 201 years later. The individual provinces (sometimes in conjunction with each other) conducted censuses in the 19th century and before. In 1871, Canada's first formal census was conducted, which counted the population of Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Quebec.

Censuses in Canada are conducted in five-year intervals. The last census was conducted in 2021. Censuses taken in mid-decade (1976, 1986, 1996, etc.) are referred to as quinquennial censuses. Others are referred to as decennial censuses. The first quinquennial census was conducted in 1956.

For the 2006 Census of Canada, respondents were able to complete their census questionnaire online for the first time. Other options for answering the questionnaire included postal mail (using a pre-paid envelope) and telephone (using an 800 number).

At a sub-national level, two provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan) and two territories (Nunavut and Yukon) have legislation that allows local governments to conduct their own municipal censuses.

Canadian flag

Demographic and historical evolution of the Canadian population since the first official census carried out in 1871.
N.	Year	Population Canada	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1871	3,485,761	1871 Canadian census
2nd	1881	4,278,327	1881 Canadian census
3rd	1891	4,833,239	1891 Canadian census
20th century
4th	1901	5,371,315	1901 Canadian census
5th	1911	7,204,838	1911 Canadian census
6th	1921	8,788,483	1921 Canadian census
7th	1931	10,376,379	1931 Canadian census
8th	1941	11,506,655	1941 Canadian census
9th	1951	14,009,429	1951 Canadian census
10th	1956	16,080,791	1956 Canadian census
11th	1961	18,238,247	1961 Canadian census
12th	1966	20,014,880	1966 Canadian census
13th	1971	21,568,311	1971 Canadian census
14th	1976	22,992,604	1976 Canadian census
15th	1981	24,343,181	1981 Canadian census
16th	1986	25,309,331	1986 Canadian census
17th	1991	27,296,859	1991 Canadian census
18th	1996	28 846 761	1996 Canadian census
21st century
19th	2001	30,007,094	2001 Canadian census
20th	2006	31,612,897	2006 Canadian census
21th	2011	33,476,688	2011 Canadian census
22th	2016	35,151,728	2016 Canadian census
23th	2021	36,991,981	2021 Canadian census
24th	2026	Projection	2026 Canadian census

Chile

National population censuses are carried out in Chile every ten years by the National Statistics Institute (INE). The last one took place in 2012, but its results were dismissed by the INE due to a high omission rate and other problems. A new abbreviated census took place in April 2017, with a full census to be carried out in 2022. The last official census results are from 2002.

Chilean flag

Coat of arms of Chile

Demographic and historical evolution of the Chilean population since the first official census carried out in 1835.
N.	Year	Population Chile	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1835	1,010,336
2nd	1843	1,083,701
3rd	1854	1,439,120
4th	1865	1,819,223
5th	1875	2,075,971
6th	1885	2,507,005
7th	1895	2,695,625
20th century
8th	1907	3,231,022
9th	1920	3,720,235
10th	1930	4,287,445
11th	1940	5,023,539
12th	1952	5,932,995
13th	1960	7,374,115
14th	1970	8,884,768
15th	1982	11,329,736
16th	1992	13,348,401
21st century
17th	2002	15,116,435
18th	2012	16 634 603
19th	2017	17,574,003

Colombia

Population and Housing Censuses in Colombia were conducted by the National Administrative Department of Statistics in 1825, 1835, 1843, 1851, 1864, 1870, 1905, 1912, 1918, 1928, 1938, 1951, 1964, 1973, 1985, 1993, 2005 and 2018.

Colombian flag

Coat of arms of Colombia

Demographic and historical evolution of the Colombian population since the first official census carried out in 1825.
N.	Year	Population Colombia	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1825	2,583,799
2nd	1835	1,687,109
3rd	1843	1,932,279
4th	1851	2,243,730
5th	1864	2,441,300
6th	1870	2,681,637
20th century
7th	1905	4,533,777
8th	1912	5,472,604
9th	1918	5,855,077
10th	1928	7,851,110
11th	1938	8,697,041
12th	1951	11,548,172
13th	1964	17,484,510
14th	1973	20,666,920
15th	1985	27,853,432
16th	1993	33,109,839
21st century
17th	2005	41,468,384
18th	2018	48,258,494	2018 Colombian census

Costa Rica

Costa Rica carried out its tenth population census in 2011. INEC, National Institute of Statistics and Census is in charge of conduct these censuses. Past Costa Rican censuses were conducted in 1864, 1883, 1892, 1927, 1950, 1963, 1973, 1984, and 2000. The next census is scheduled for 2022.

Costa Rican flag

Coat of arms of Costa Rica

Demographic and historical evolution of the Costa Rican population since the first official census carried out in 1864.
N.	Year	Population Costa Rica	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1864	120,499	1864 Costa Rican census
2nd	1883	182,073	1883 Costa Rican census
3rd	1892	243,205	1892 Costa Rican census
20th century
4th	1927	471,524	1927 Costa Rican census
5th	1950	800,875	1950 Costa Rican census
6th	1963	1,336,274	1963 Costa Rican census
7th	1973	1,871,780	1973 Costa Rican census
8th	1984	2,416,809	1984 Costa Rican census
21st century
9th	2000	3,810,179	2000 Costa Rican census
10th	2011	4,301,712	2011 Costa Rican census
11th	2022	5,044,197

Curaçao

General censuses of population and housing have been carried out in 1960, 1971, 1981, 1992, 2001, and 2011. In 2021 a new census will be conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics of Curaçao. For more information and the results of the older censuses visit the DIgitallibrary of CBS

Ecuador

The most recent censuses in Ecuador were in 2001 and 2010.

Ecuadorian flag

Coat of arms of Ecuador

Demographic and historical evolution of the Ecuadorian population since the first official census carried out in 1825.
N.	Year	Population Ecuador	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1825	496,846
2nd	1840	616,209
3rd	1858	748,297
4th	1889	1,271,761
20th century
5th	1909	1,642,856
6th	1926	2,929,314
7th	1933	2,600,116
8th	1942	3,084,963
9th	1950	3,202,757
10th	1962	4,476,007
11th	1974	6,500,845
12th	1982	8,138,974
13th	1990	9,697,979
21st century
14th	2000	12,156,608
15th	2010	14,483,499
16th	2022	16,938,986

Guatemala

Modern population censuses have been taken in Guatemala in 1930, 1950, 1964, 1973, 1981, 1994, 2002 and 2018. Controversial censuses include those in 1950 and 1964 (misclassification of the Maya population) and 1994 (generally questioned). About 14,000,000 people live in Guatemala as of July 2009.

Guatemalan flag

Coat of arms of Guatemala

Demographic and historical evolution of the Guatemalan population since the first official census carried out in 1880.
N.	Year	Population Guatemala	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1880	1,224,602
2nd	1893	1,364,678
20th century
3rd	1921	2,004,900
4th	1940	2,400,000
5th	1950	2,790,868
6th	1964	4,287,997
7th	1973	5,160,221
8th	1981	6,054,227
9th	1994	8,331,874
21st century
10th	2002	11,237,196
11th	2018	14,901,286

Haiti

General censuses of population and housing (French: Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat (RGPH)) have been carried out in 1950, 1971, 1982, 2003 and 2014. First results of the 2014 census will be published between November and December 2014; final results will be published in November 2015.

Mexico

National population censuses have been carried out in 1910, 1921, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010.
National economic censuses have been carried out in 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.

Mexican flag

Coat of arms of Mexico

Demographic and historical evolution of the Mexican population since the first official census carried out in 1880.
N.	Year	Population Mexico	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1895	12,491,573	1895 Mexican Census
20th century
2nd	1900	13,545,462
3rd	1910	15,160,369
4th	1921	14,334,096
5th	1930	16,552,722
6th	1940	19,653,552
7th	1950	25,791,017
8th	1960	34,923,129
9th	1970	48,225,238
10th	1980	66,846,833
11th	1990	81,249,645
21st century
12th	2000	97,483,412
13th	2010	112,336,538
14th	2020	126,014,024

Nicaragua

Nicaraguan flag

Coat of arms of Nicaragua

Demographic and historical evolution of the Nicaraguan population since the first official census carried out in 1906.
N.	Year	Population Nicaragua	Population and Housing Census
20th century
1st	1906	501,849
2nd	1920	633,622
3rd	1940	829,831
4th	1950	1,049,611
5th	1963	1,535,588
6th	1971	1,877,952
7th	1995	4,357,099
21st century
8th	2005	5,142,098

Panama

Panamanian flag

Coat of arms of Panama

Demographic and historical evolution of the Panamanian population since the first official census carried out in 1911.
N.	Year	Population Panama	Population and Housing Census
20th century
1st	1911	336,742
2nd	1920	446,098
3rd	1930	467,459
4th	1940	622,576
5th	1950	805,285
6th	1960	1,075,541
7th	1970	1,428,082
8th	1980	1,805,287
9th	1990	2,329,329
21st century
10th	2000	2,839,177
11th	2010	3,405,813
12th	2023	4,064,780

Paraguay

Paraguayan flag

Coat of arms of Paraguay

Demographic and historical evolution of the Paraguayan population since the first official census carried out in 1846.
N.	Year	Population Paraguay	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1846	233,394
2nd	1870	116,351
20th century
3rd	1950	1,328,452
4th	1962	1,819,103
5th	1972	2,357,955
6th	1982	3,029,830
7th	1992	4,152,588
21st century
8th	2002	5,163,198
9th	2012	6,461,041
10th	2022	6,109,644

Peru

The first census in Peru was carried out in 1836. The 12th and latest one was the 2017 Census and was carried out by Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática in October 2017.

Peruvian flag

Coat of arms of Perú

Demographic and historical evolution of the Peruvian population since the first official census carried out in 1836.
N.	Year	Population Peru	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1836	1,873,736
2nd	1850	2,001,203
3rd	1862	2,487,916
4th	1876	2,699,105
20th century
5th	1940	7,023,111
6th	1961	10,420,357
7th	1972	14,121,564
8th	1981	17,762,231
9th	1993	22,639,443	1993 Peruvian census
21st century
10th	2005	27,219,264	2005 Peruvian census
11th	2007	28,220,764	2007 Peruvian census
12th	2017	31,237,385	2017 Peruvian census
-	2022	33,396,700	INEI Estimates
13th	2027	Projection

United States

The United States Constitution and federal law mandate that a census be taken every ten years to apportion the number of members of the United States House of Representatives among the several states. Census statistics are also used to apportion federal funding for many social and economic programs.

The first U.S. Census was conducted in 1790 by Federal Marshals. During the 19th century and through the 1940 census, enumeration was accomplished through political districts. Each was responsible for producing a census.

From 1950 onward, census forms were mailed to every address on record with the United States Post Office, including the Armed Services Postal System, in an effort to enhance completeness of the data collected. Beginning in 1970, it was made illegal to fail to return a completed census form. Computer technology was also introduced.

The 2010 census counted over 308 million people.

By law (92 Stat. 915, Public Law 95-416, enacted on October 5, 1978), individual census records are sealed for 72 years. The individual census data most recently released to the public was the 1940 census, released on April 2, 2012. Aggregate census data are released when available.

In addition to the decennial federal census, local censuses have also been conducted, for example, in Massachusetts, which conducted a statewide census every five years until 1985. Some states conducted limited censuses for various purposes, and these are typically located in state archives.

Next census was scheduled to begin 1 April 2020^{[circular reference]} but delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic meant most areas did not assign enumerators and begin counting until after August 1, 2020, even while their questions are still written to tabulate information about a housing unit's status on the prior date.

The 2020 census counted for over 331 million people.

Map of the United States in the Americas

United States flag

Coat of arms of the United States

Demographic and historical evolution of the United States population since the first official census carried out in 1790.
N.	Year	Population United States	Population and Housing Census
18th century
1st	1790	3,929,214	1790 United States census
19th century
2nd	1800	5,308,483	1800 United States census
3rd	1810	7,239,881	1810 United States census
4th	1820	9,638,454	1820 United States census
5th	1830	12,866,020	1830 United States census
6th	1840	17,069,453	1840 United States census
7th	1850	23,191,876	1850 United States census
8th	1860	31,443,321	1860 United States census
9th	1870	38,925,598	1870 United States census
10th	1880	50,189,209	1880 United States census
11th	1890	62,979,766	1890 United States census
20th century
12th	1900	76,212,168	1900 United States census
13th	1910	92,228,496	1910 United States census
14th	1920	106,021,537	1920 United States census
15th	1930	122,775,046	1930 United States census
16th	1940	132,164,569	1940 United States census
17th	1950	151,325,798	1950 United States census
18th	1960	179,323,175	1960 United States census
19th	1970	203,392,031	1970 United States census
20th	1980	226,545,805	1980 United States census
21th	1990	248,709,873	1990 United States census
21st century
22th	2000	281,421,906	2000 United States census
23th	2010	308,745,538	2010 United States census
24th	2020	331,449,281	2020 United States census
25th	2030	Projection	2030 United States Census

Uruguay

Uruguayan flag

Coat of arms of Uruguay

Demographic and historical evolution of the Uruguayan population since the first official census carried out in 1852.
N.	Year	Population Uruguay	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1852	131,969
2nd	1860	223,238
20th century
3rd	1908	1,042,686
4th	1963	2,595,510
5th	1975	2,788,429
6th	1985	2,955,241
7th	1996	3,137,188
21st century
8th	2004	3,241,003
9th	2011	3,286,314
10th	2023	3,444,263

Venezuela

The study of the population in Venezuela is in charge of the National Institute of Statistics, which is in charge of collecting, analyzing and publishing data. Its best known publication is the Population Census, which is carried out in a period of no more than 15 years.

The last study of this type was carried out in 2011 between September and November.

Venezuelan flag

Coat of arms of Venezuela

Demographic and historical evolution of the Venezuelan population since the first official census carried out in 1873.
N.	Year	Population Venezuela	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1873	1,732,411
2nd	1881	2,005,139
3rd	1891	2,221,572
20th century
4th	1920	2,479,525
5th	1926	2,814,131
6th	1936	3,364,347
7th	1941	3,850,771
8th	1950	5,034,838
9th	1961	7,523,999
10th	1971	10,721,522
11th	1981	14,516,735
12th	1990	18,105,265
21st century
13th	2001	23,054,210
14th	2011	27,227,930
-	2021	28,199,867	World Bank estimates

Asia

Afghanistan

A partial and incomplete population census was taken in Afghanistan in June 1979. Wars since then have caused significant population displacement and there has not been an updated count nor does the nation seem to have the technical ability nor will to tackle a modern census.

Armenia

Population censuses have been taken in Azerbaijan under Russian/Soviet rule in 1831, 1873, 1886, 1897, 1922, 1926, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, and 1989. Beginning in 1991, three more censuses' have been carried out in Armenia: one in 2001, one in 2011 and one in 2022.

Azerbaijan

Population censuses have been taken in Armenia under Russian/Soviet rule in 1897, 1926, 1937, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, and 1989. Beginning in 1991, two more censuses have been carried out in Azerbaijan: one in 1999 and one in 2009.

Bangladesh

Population censuses were conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in 1974, 1981, 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2022.The 2022 Census was the nation's first digital census.^{[citation needed]}

China

China's first censuses were irregular: the Republic of China held censuses in 1913 and 1944. Under Mao Zedong, the People's Republic of China held its first in 1952, but the second in 1963 was secret and unacknowledged until the early 1980s.

The 1982 Chinese census was much more thorough and well-conducted than the first two, and similar censuses have been conducted decennially in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. These are the world's biggest censuses and over 6 million enumerators were engaged in the 2000^{[citation needed]} and 2010 censuses.

Between the national censuses, 1% National Population Sample Surveys were taken in 1987, 1995, and 2005; 0.1% National Population Sample Surveys have been taken annually since 2000. National agricultural, economic, and industrial censuses are also taken on a regular basis. The first economic census was taken in 2004 and the second 2008.

Hong Kong

Census takes place every 10 years and by-census between two censuses by the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong. The last census was the 2021 Population Census in Hong Kong.

India

The decennial census of India is the primary source of information about the demographic characteristics of the population of India. The 2011 census is one of the largest censuses in the history of mankind.

The first census in India in modern times was conducted in 1873. First regular census was started in 1881 by Lord Ripon. Since then, a population census has been carried out every 10 years. The latest census commenced on May 1, 2010. It will create a National Population Register with photographs and fingerprints of every resident. All usual residents of India will also be provided with their Unique ID numbers and National Identity Cards. The census is carried out by the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Delhi, an office in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, under the 1948 Census of India Act. The act gives Central Government many powers like to notify a date for Census, power to ask for the services of any citizen for census work. The law makes it compulsory for every citizen to answer the census questions truthfully. The Act provides penalties for giving false answers or not giving answers at all to the census questionnaire. One of the most important provisions of law is the guarantee for the maintenance of secrecy of the information collected at the census of each individual. The census records are not open to inspection and also not admissible in evidence.

The census is conducted in two phases: first, house listing and house numbering phase and second, the actual population enumeration phase. The census is carried out by the canvassing method. In this method, each household is visited and the information is collected by specially trained enumerator. They collect data related to households e.g. number of members, water & electricity supply, ownership of land, vehicles, computers and other assets and services. In the second phase, total population is counted and statistics related to individuals are collected and saved into the governments hand.

Indonesia

The first population census was done during the colonial era, 1930. Before that, a non-overall census was already conducted in 1920. After that census was done irregularly. The first census after independence was 1961, followed by 1971. Since 1980 it is conducted regularly every 10 years. In between, there is also economical census (every 10 years, five years after population census) and agricultural census (three years after population census). The last census was held in September 2020 (2020 Indonesian census).

Iran

The Statistical Center of Iran carries out nationwide population and housing censuses every ten years, the first of which conducted in 1956 (1335 AP) reporting a total population of 19 million people. Since then, seven other censuses were conducted in 1966, 1976, 1986, 1996, 2006, 2011, 2016. As seen, the two censuses in 2006 and 2011 were conducted on a five-year basis, following a 2008 law. The law was rescinded in 2020, with the president announcing that the next census would be conducted in 2026, due to modernizing method to Register-based Census.

Iraq

The Central Statistical Organization – Ministry of Planning of Iraq is responsible for population and housing censuses.

According to the British government in Iraq, the population estimate in 1920 was 3 million. In 1927, the General Directorate of Population carried out the census, the population estimate was 2,968,054. Later, There were another 8 censuses in the years 1934, 1947, 1957, 1965, 1977, 1987 and the last one that was carried out in 1997.

After the War of Iraq, there was a plan for a new population and housing census. Data was collected and published in Central Statistical Organization website. Later, Data was updated, but no census was carried out due to country's situation and dispute about census law.

Israel

The first census in the state of Israel was held in November 1948, six months after its creation, to establish the population registry. Subsequent censuses were conducted by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (ICBS) in 1961, 1972, 1983, 1995 and 2008. In these, 20% of households completed a detailed survey and the remainder a shorter questionnaire. There is no legal requirement to hold a census within a given interval; in practice, the ICBS requests and the government decides. The next census is scheduled for 2022.

Japan

Since 1920, Japan has conducted [ja] to collect census information every five years, with the exceptions of the 6th in 1947 instead of 1945 and some extra censuses during 1944–1948. A large-scale census (in the years ending in the digit 0) and a simplified one (in those ending in 5) has been undertaken alternately. They collected information as in October 1. The Statistics Bureau is in charge of the exercise of censuses.

The questionnaires were frequently changed in the early history of the Population Census, but they were almost fixed by the 1970s.^: 148 Since then, they include 16–23 topics, with a small difference between the large-scale censuses and the simplified ones.^: 135 They solicit information such as name, gender, relationship to head of household, year and month of birth, marital status, nationality, number of the household members, type and tenure of dwelling, floor area of the dwelling, number of hours worked during the week prior to October 1, employment status, name of employer and type of business, kind of work, and the place of work or schooling. For the years ending in the digit 0, the questionnaire includes additional questions such as education, how long the respondent has lived at the current address, the place he/she lived five years ago, and the means of transportation to the workplace or school.

Regardless of nationality or legal status, all residents in Japan are required to complete the census. All information collected by the census is confidential and protected by the [ja]. Information provided by census can never be used for any investigation purposes such as immigration control, police investigation, tax collections and so on. After the census, all forms are destroyed.

For the first time in 2010, residents of Tokyo were given an option to complete the census questionnaires online in lieu of the conventional paper questionnaires. Unique ID and password were provided with the census form. Tokyo was chosen as the initial rollout for the online questionnaires due to the high concentration of people living in apartment buildings or gated communities, which restricts the access of census workers. The online options were made available across Japan from the 2015 census.

The 2020 census was conducted in midst of global COVID-19 pandemic and the Japanese government urged the residents to respond the census online. Those who are unable to respond online may complete and mail back the paper questionnaires. The online census questionnaires are available in Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Portuguese. The paper census form was only written in Japanese, but translation was available in 29 different languages upon request. Since 2020, administrative information can be used on limited basis, only to complete the number of persons from nonresponding households.

Jordan

The first population census after the independence in 1946 was taken in 1952. It did only count the number of people in the households and could therefore be considered only to be a housing census. The first real complete census was taken in 1961. The following censuses have been taken in 1979, 1994 and 2004. The distribution of Palestinians and Jordanians within the population has been a politically sensitive issue since the Six-Day war in 1967.

Lebanon

No census has been conducted in Lebanon since 1932. It indicated a population of 861,399 Lebanese. Various estimates of the population have been taken since; in 1956 it was estimated a population of 1,411,416, with 54% Christian and 44% Muslim. Conducting a census since then has been complicated by various conflicts in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as by the sensitivity of religious issues.

Malaysia

The census in Malaysia is carried out every 10 years, like many nations, since 1960 (with the exception of the fourth census, which was carried out in 1991). The next census should be carried out in 2020. The most recent census was from July 6 to August 22, 2010.

Myanmar

A general census of population and housing has been carried out in 2014. Provisional results have been published and final results will be published in May 2015. The 2014 census counted 51,419,420 inhabitants.

Nepal

Census in Nepal are taken by Central Bureau of Statistics. Population censuses are conducted every ten years in Nepal. The first was held in 1911 and the most recent was held in 2011. The census in 2021 is the first census of Federal Nepal.

Oman

Censuses have been taken in the Sultanate of Oman in 1993, 2003, and 2010.

Pakistan

The Census in Pakistan is a legally decennial census and a descriptive count of Pakistan's population on Census Day, and of their dwellings, conducted and supervised by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The 2017 Census in Pakistan marks the first census to take place in Pakistan since 1998. The most recent census was the 2023 Pakistani census.

Philippines

The census of the Philippines is enumerated every 5 years (beginning in 1960, except in 2005 where it was moved to 2007 due to budgetary constraints) and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats (congressional apportionment) and government program funding.

The census is performed by the Philippine Statistics Authority. The first official census in the Philippines was carried out by the Spanish government pursuant to a royal decree calling for the counting of persons living as of the midnight of December 31, 1877. The first door-to-door census was conducted in 1903 to fulfill Public Act 467 which was approved by the U.S. Congress in July 1902. The last national census was held in 2020. For years between the censuses, the NSO issues estimates made using surveys and statistical models.

Saudi Arabia

Population censuses have been taken in Saudi Arabia in 1962/63 (incomplete), 1974 (complete but not reliable), 1992, 2004 and 2010. An agriculture census was taken in 1999.

Singapore

Population censuses have been taken in Singapore every ten years, in 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020

South Korea

South Korea had its first "modern" census in 1925.

The Census has been conducted 18 times every 5 years, most recently in 2020.

Sri Lanka

The census in Sri Lanka is carried out by the Department of Census and Statistics every 10 years, with the next one being planned for 2011. The 2011 one being the first post-war census in three decades. The census will cover all Grama Niladhari (GN) divisions of the country. The first scientific census in Sri Lanka was conducted on March 27, 1871. The last four were in 1963, 1971, 1981 and 2001 with a census estimate in 1989. The 2001 census was only carried out in 18 Districts due to the Sri Lankan Civil War.

Syria

The first population census in Syria was taken by the French Mandatory Regime in 1921–22. This is however not considered reliable. Censuses during independence have been taken 1947, 1960 (the first comprehensive demographic investigation), 1970, 1976 (a sample census), 1981, 1994 and 2004 and the next would be taken at 2017.

Taiwan

The first census in Taiwan was conducted in 1905, while Taiwan was under Japanese rule.

Thailand

A census is conducted every 10 years, the latest being in 2010. The National Statistical Office of Thailand is in charge of conducting the census.

Turkey

The Turkish census is run by the Turkish Statistical Institute. The first census in Turkey was conducted in 1927. After 1935, it took place every 5 years until 1990. Now, the census takes place every 10 years. The last census was in 2000. It can be noted that the census enumeration takes place on one single day in Turkey (in other countries it takes 1–2 weeks). This required some 900,000 enumerators in 2000. The 15th census based on improved geographical information systems is planned for 2010.

A census was taken in the Ottoman Empire 1831–38 by Sultan Mahmud II (1808–1839) as a part of the reform movement Tanzimat. Christian and Jewish men were counted but the female population was excluded.

Uzbekistan

The last census in Uzbekistan was carried out in 1989 during Soviet rule. Uzbekistan itself has never carried one out.

Europe

Albania

The latest population census was conducted in Albania on September 30, 2011.

The previous census was conducted in April 2001. Prior to that, a census was conducted in 1989 at the end of the Communist regime.

Albanian flag

Coat of arms of Albania

Demographic and historical evolution of the Albanian population since the first official census carried out in 1923.
N.	Year	Population Albania	Population and Housing Census
20th century
1st	1923	814,380
2nd	1930	833,618
3rd	1945	1,122,044
4th	1950	1,218,943
5th	1955	1,391,499
6th	1960	1,626,315
7th	1969	2,068,155
8th	1979	2,590,600
9th	1989	3,182,417
21st century
10th	2001	3,069,275
11th	2011	2,821,977
12th	2023	2,402,113

Austria

The Austrian census is run by Statistics Austria. It is carried out every ten years, the last one on October 31, 2011.

Austrian flag

Coat of arms of Austria

Demographic and historical evolution of the Austrian population since the first official census carried out in 1869.
N.	Year	Population Austria	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1869	4,497,880
2nd	1880	4,963,528
3rd	1890	5,417,360
20th century
4th	1900	6,003,845
5th	1910	6,648,310
6th	1934	6,760,044
7th	1951	6,933,905
8th	1961	7,073,807
9th	1971	7,491,526
10th	1981	7,555,338
11th	1991	7,795,786
21st century
12th	2001	8,032,926
13th	2011	8,401,940
14th	2021	8,969,068

Belgium

The Belgium census is run by Statistics Belgium. The first census was carried out in 1846 then it is carried out every 10 years. The last census was taken in 2011. This is the first registered based census.[1]

Belgian flag

Coat of arms of Belgium

Demographic and historical evolution of the Belgian population since the first official census carried out in 1846.
N.	Year	Population Belgium	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1846	4,337,196
2nd	1856	4,529,460
3rd	1866	4,827,833
4th	1876	5,336,185
5th	1880	5,520,009
6th	1890	6,069,321
20th century
7th	1900	6,693,548
8th	1910	7,423,784
9th	1920	7,465,782
10th	1930	8,092,004
11th	1947	8,512,195
12th	1961	9,189,741
13th	1970	9,650,944
14th	1981	9,848,647
15th	1991	9,978,681
21st century
16th	2001	10,296,350
17th	2011	11,000,638
18th	2021	11,521,238

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Population censuses in Bosnia and Herzegovina were conducted in 1879, 1885, 1895, 1910, 1921, 1931, 1948, 1953, 1961, 1971, 1981 and 1991. The 2013 Census was organized in period between October 1–15, 2013. This is the first census after the end of the Bosnian War.

Bulgaria

Bulgarian governors organized a national census soon after the liberation of the Bulgarian lands. In 1881 a census took place in the Principality, while in 1884 a census was organized in Eastern Rumelia. The first census covering the unified state took place in 1887.

Since these first accounts, Bulgarian authorities had organized several population censuses: 1892, 1900, 1905, 1910, 1920, 1926, 1934, 1946, 1956, 1965, 1975, 1985, 1992, 2001, and 2011.

The data provided in the Bulgarian censuses from 1888 until World War II is regarded as highly reliable^{[citation needed]} according to the standards of the time. The Bulgarian leading statisticians of the period were generally educated in Western universities and participated vividly in the international cooperation, therefore insisted and succeeded in introducing the best practices of the time. The quality of the data provided of later censuses is a matter of debate.^{[citation needed]} The religion question in the 2001 census didn't allow the unaffiliated Bulgarians to be counted as such.

Bulgarian flag

Coat of arms of Bulgaria

Demographic and historical evolution of the Bulgarian population since the first official census carried out in 1880.
N.	Year	Population Bulgaria	Population and Housing Census
19th century
1st	1880	2,007,919
2nd	1887	3,154,375
3rd	1892	3,310,713
20th century
4th	1900	3,744,283
5th	1905	4,035,575
6th	1910	4,337,513
7th	1920	4,846,971
8th	1926	5,478,741
9th	1934	6,077,939
10th	1946