The Population and Housing Census in Switzerland Marcel Heiniger, Swiss Federal Statistical Office IPUMS/IECM Workshop “Integrating European Census Microdata - II” Paris, June 8-9, 2006

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 Content of Presentation history of census taking census methodology and technology harmonization and comparability of microdata from different censuses existing public use samples Swiss microdata for IECM-IPUMS project: challenges ahead

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 History of Census Taking I 1798: first ‘modern’ census (Helvetic Republic) 1848: Swiss Federal Constitution (founding of modern-day Switzerland) 1850: first federal census 1860: Swiss Federal Law on the National Census and creation of a Federal Statistical Office

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 History of Census Taking II periodicity: every 10 years in years ending in 0 (early December) two exceptions: 1888 and 1941 last census to date: December 5, 2000 future of census currently under intense discussion

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 Census Forms and Content I : household questionnaire 1888: introduction of personal questionnaire (plus household envelope) 1960: first nationwide housing census (in big municipalities since 1920) 1970: first nationwide building census 1990: geocoding of all data (hectare coordinates) today: three questionnaire types (persons, households and buildings)

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 Census Forms and Content II Federal Population Census 2000 (1) personal questionnaire –21 questions (date of birth, gender, marital status, nationality, place of residence 5 years ago, commune of residence at time of birth, religion, language, total number of children, household status, education, current activity, occupation, status in employment, work in own household/voluntary work, commuting [location of place of work/school, time taken, frequency, mode of transport])

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 Census Forms and Content III Federal Population Census 2000 (2) household questionnaire –2 questions regarding the dwelling (address, number of rooms) and its inhabitants (names of all persons living in the same dwelling) (3) building questionnaire –19 questions regarding the building (address, type and age of building, renovations, number of dwellings, number of floors, type of ownership, type of heating) and the dwellings in that building (number of rooms, floor space, rent)

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 Methods of Data Collection until 1990: traditional method of universal personal enumeration (fieldwork) 2000: use of different methods (personal enumeration, preprinted questionnaires using data from registers, mailout/mailback procedure) 2000: e-census (electronic questionnaire on Internet)

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 Data Capture and Processing until 1910 data entry and analysis by hand : electromechanical equipment 1960: electronic data entry, processing (punch cards) and storage (magnetic disks) 1970: scanning, OCR technology, automatic coding

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 Census Microdata individual records for the censuses of 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000 two harmonized individual data sets: – – dissemination of microdata: available in restricted format only and supplied under strictly controlled conditions

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 Public Use Samples I first PUS in 2001 covering the censuses of 1970, 1980 and 1990 (975,435 records) second PUS in 2005 covering the censuses of 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000 (1,339,836 records) characteristics of PUS: –5% sample of individuals (simple random drawing) –contains only limited information about other members of the individual's household –smallest identifiable geographic unit: canton (NUTS-3)

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 Public Use Samples II Content of 2005 PUS individual –demography, religion, education, occupation, social status reference person in household –demography, religion, education, occupation, social status partner/spouse of reference person in household –demography, religion, education, occupation, social status household –size, number and age group of children, number of economically active persons dwelling –monthly rent, number of rooms, floor space building –type of building, number of dwellings, type of heating geography

IPUMS/IECM Workshop, Paris, June 8-9, 2006 Swiss Microdata for IECM-IPUMS Project existing Swiss public use sample does not meet the requirements of IECM-IPUMS: –no household sample –certain variables with less detail than requested (e.g. age groups instead of individual ages) intention: to draw a 5 per cent household sample from the harmonized individual data set

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