The 1990 World Population and Housing Census Programme

A population census is the primary source of demographic information for every country. In planning for the 1990 round of censuses, the international community has adopted a number of recommendations for changes for countries and regions to consider in planning for and carrying out their census. In particular, alternatives for the measurement of economic activity have been proposed in order to obtain a more realistic indication of employment and unemployment in countries where the agriculture and informal sectors are important. New recommendations have also been made for the measurement of stocks and flows of international migrants. In each of the major regions, recommendations have been adapted to local concerns. Preparations are being made for technical cooperation in the 190 census round, and a calendar of the census dates in all countries is shown to be nearly complete.