Past Censuses Research Articles

Undercount of migration in the UK 1991 Census and its impact on counterurbanisation and population projections

Estimates of migration from a national census are essential ingredients of population analysis for subnational areas. The impact of incomplete data became an issue in Britain, because evidence after its 1991 Census suggested that the 2% undercount was concentrated in particular demographic and social groups. A review of the social dimensions of non-response in past censuses, together with the official estimates of non-response for demographic categories, have been used to estimate a range for the number missing from each census flow of migrants between local authority districts in Britain. In total around 23% is added to the published count of migrants. The impact of the missing migrants is shown to have overestimated the scale of counterurbanisation, but not to account for the entire phenomenon. Non-response, when included in estimates of migration, does eliminate entirely the excess of females among young adult migrants observed in the 1991 census. In official population projections, the main effect of including an allowance for non-respondents is to reduce considerably the net flows out of city districts. Measures to include estimates of non-response within the published census counts are necessary. Plans for a ‘One number census’ in 2001 may much reduce the biases within the UK census counts of migrants. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Race Still Matters

Two techniques are used to examine the extent to which racial housing segregation in the St. Louis metropolitan area in 1990 is attributable to income and housing cost differences between African-Americans and whites. Measurement of segregation within household-income categories revealed that, at all income levels, African-Americans and whites with similar incomes are about as segregated as African-Americans and whites overall. Indirect standardizations based on housing cost and tenure reveal that if those were the only causes of segregation, African-Americans and whites would be far less segregated than they are. The proportion of segregation attributable to such differences is even lower in 1990 than in past censuses.

Passive acoustic location of bowhead whales in a population census off Point Barrow, Alaska.

A sonobuoy array placed in the nearshore lead was used for locating bowhead whale sounds to determine if whales migrated past census stations beyond visual range and were uncounted. Based on a sample of 182 whale sounds (over 48 h) from closest point of approach (CPA) distances out to more than 10 km, 68% originated beyond 2 km (CPA), where only 1% of the 242 whales were sighted. No whales were sighted beyond 3 km during this time, but 53% of the located sounds originated that far and beyond. Thirty-seven other bowhead sounds over 15 h were distributed out to 6 km. Two tracked whales moved at average speeds of 1.5 and 1.8 kn. Maximum location error was 1%-25% in a sector of 120 degrees X 5-10 km, depending upon bearing and range. Most whale sounds were low-frequency moans, trumpeting roars, and repetitive sequences (songs) with peak spectrum source level up to 189 dB re: 1 microPa, 1 m. Lack of correlations between numbers of sounds and sighted whales precluded using bowhead sounds to count individuals or even to extrapolate ratios of unseen to observed whales.

Looking toward 1990: Planning the next United States census of population and housing

Planning for the 1990 census is already under way and many important decisions must be made in the next two to three years. In making decisions, the Census Bureau will be guided by six criteria or goals: The Bureau wants to (1) meet legal deadlines for the delivery of apportionment and redistricting data; (2) keep the total cost of the census reasonable; (3) produce data in a more timely manner than ever before; (4) maintain the high level of accuracy of past censuses; (5) strike a proper balance between the need for information and the time it takes respondents to complete the questionnaire; and (6) maintain the strictest confidentiality of each respondent's answers. This article discusses current bureau thinking in several specific areas: basic methodology; automation; personnel management; outreach and publicity; coverage improvement, coverage measurement, and adjustment; census content; and data products. The article also describes the process the bureau has set up for planning the census, including internal review, consultation with data users and the interested public, and formal tests of census procedures and content.

Racism and the Numbers Game: Black People and the 1980 Census

The author examines the impact of the 1980 U.S. census on black people and discusses what blacks should do in response to the census. The history of how blacks have been treated in past censuses is reviewed some implications of the undercount for blacks are discussed and ways to get the census figures adjusted are proposed (ANNOTATION)

CENTENARIANS IN THE UNITED STATES.

This report focuses on the characteristics of those people identified as centenarians in the 1990 Census of Population and Housing for the United States. While its purpose is not to provide the definitive answer to the number of people aged 100 or above in 1990 this report does give a range of estimates. Information is provided on educational status marital status poverty status disability nativity geographical distribution international comparisons data quality issues and past census counts. (EXCERPT)