HISTORY OF CENSUS TAKING
THE ORIGIN OF CENSUS TAKING
Census taking had its beginning in ancient times in the countries of Egypt, Babylonia, China,
Palestine and Rome. In these earlier times, population counts were undertaken to determine
fiscal, labour and military obligations and were usually directed towards heads of households,
males of military age, taxpayers or adult citizens.
Census enumerations are mentioned in biblical writings citing 1491 B.C. and 1017 B.C. as
crucial dates in census history. In later years, censuses became important events across the
Roman Empire, among French colonies and in the Scandinavian countries.
THE EVOLUTION OF POPULATION CENSUSES IN THE BRITISH
EMPIRE
Up to the beginning of the 19th century, the number of the population within the British Empire
was a matter of estimate and conjecture. By the mid-eighteenth century, attempts were made to
provide for the annual enumeration of the people and of the persons in receipt of parochial
relief. These initiatives were violently opposed.
By the end of the century, however, owing to the great impact of the publication of the essays of
noted economist Thomas Malthus, it was thought desirable to possess the means of judging
from time to time, the relations between an increasing population and the means of subsistence.
A Census Bill therefore became law at the end of 1800, and the first enumeration under it, took
place in March of the following year, the operations being confined to Great Britain.
Initially, the enumeration process was entrusted to the overseers and the village schoolmasters
with a supplementary statement of births, deaths and marriages for each parish from the clergy.
The census instrument was quite simple requiring the number of houses inhabited and
otherwise, the population of each family by sex, and the occupation, under one of the three
heads, (a) agriculture, (b) trade, manufacture or industry, or (c) other than these two. The
results, which were not satisfactory, were published without comment.
Ten years later, the chief alteration in the next census was the substitution of the main
occupation of the family to that of the individual. In 1821 an attempt to get a return of ages was
made, but it was not repeated in 1831, when the attention of the enumerators was concentrated
upon greater detail in the occupation record. The creation, in 1834, of poor law unions, and the
establishment in 1836, of civil registration districts, as a rule coterminous with them, provided a
new basis of the taking of the census, and the operations in 1841 became the responsibility of
the Registrar General and his staff. The most important innovation, however, was the transfer of
the responsibility for filling out the schedule from the overseers and village schoolmasters to the
householders, thereby rendering possible a synchronous record. In the year 1844, the first
official census in the British West Indies Region was conducted under the directive of the British
Government.
The date found more suitable for the census in England proved inconvenient for her colonies
and dependencies thereby negating simultaneity. Then, again, as to the scope of inquiry, the
administrative purposes for which information was thus collected varied greatly in the different
countries. The census had to be limited to what the conditions of the locality allowed, and what
the population was able and willing to answer. The scope of censuses, understandably was
limited to collecting information on those specific aspects of the population which were of crucial
importance to the economic order of the time. With the passage of time, the focus of the inquiry
became more relevant to the developmental needs of the countries in the Region.
HISTORICAL REVIEW OF CENSUSES IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean region have a well-established tradition of conducting
Population and Housing Censuses. The first official census in Trinidad and Tobago was taken in
1844. The second was done in 1851 and since then, censuses have been conducted at ten year
intervals viz, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, 1921, 1931, 1946, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990
and the most recent 2000. The postponement in 1941 was due to circumstances of World War
II. The census reports produced over these periods provided a rich source of socio-economic
and demographic data.
Historically, Trinidad and Tobago began a shared experience with other Caribbean countries in
census taking when the first official census was conducted in the region, formerly known as the
British West Indies. Responsibilities for the conduct of censuses then was with the Registrar
General of England who through the Secretary of State for the Colonies set down standard
practices for census taking in the then British Colonies.
The scope of early censuses was limited to collecting information on specific aspects of the
population which were of crucial importance to the socio-economic conditions of the time. The
significant feature of these first and subsequent censuses was the uniformity in the procedures
adopted for conducting the censuses which set the stage for regional census planning.
The West Indian Census of 1946 is regarded as the first of the modern censuses taken in the
region and represented a further step forward since it was organised in close collaboration with
other British Colonies in the Caribbean. Prior to the taking of the census, a conference of the
Census Officers of the Colonies concerned was held in Barbados and as far as possible,
agreement was reached on the adoption of uniform procedures. The tabulation and analysis of
the information gathered at the census were performed centrally for all Colonies in the Central
Bureau of Statistics of Jamaica.
In a number of areas, Trinidad and Tobago, numerically the largest of the nine colonies
participating in the 1946 Census stood apart from the others. In the first place, the census
questionnaire called for more information especially on the subject of housing than in the other
Colonies. The questionnaire stood midway between the deliberated simplified schedule
designed for the area as a whole and the more elaborated schedule used in the Jamaica
census of 1943. Secondly, the printing of all schedules was carried out in Port of Spain,
whereas, the principal schedules for all other Colonies except British Honduras were printed in
Barbados. Thirdly, no other colony undertook the preparation and printing of documents
analogous to the Census Officer’s Report and Tables or the Census Album.
With the establishment of a Federal Government of the Region in 1958, planning for censuses
continued as a regional undertaking. A Regional Coordinating Committee was established in
1959 and met to consider plans for the organisation and conduct of all aspects of the census
which were to be wider in scope than previously. The Committee took firms decisions on a
number of matters including: the fixing of a date for the census, finance, the legal bases, the use
of a minimum schedule to ensure uniformity in approach in the collection of certain types of
basic data, drafting procedures of common practice among participating countries and drawing
a timetable of operations.
For the 1960 Census, the British Caribbean was organized into two zones. Trinidad and Tobago
became the centre of operations for the development of methodology and certain aspects of
planning and processing of data, for Barbados, British Guiana and the Windward Islands.
Jamaica assumed responsibility for the rest of the region. In Trinidad, the Central Statistical
Office (CSO) became the centre of activities through the establishment of several committees
and working groups. Overall control for the regional effort and harmonization of census
procedures and coordination of activity at both centres were vested in a Technical Committee
consisting of persons from the CSO, the University of the West Indies and the Federal
Government.
The 1960 Census yielded data and experiences that provided further guidelines for the
continuation of the regional approach to the census taking as exemplified in the case of the
subsequent Censuses of 1970, 1980 and 1990.
In 1970, instead of the two-zone operational arrangement, fieldwork was conducted in individual
territories using a mark-sensing document processed at a central data processing centre
establishment in Jamaica. Moreover, although the questionnaire developed for the region had
as its basic structure, a set of core questions intended to produce data permitting regional
comparison of demographic variables, individual countries were at liberty to add questions
which would yield data specific to the information needs of the particular country. The Census
Coordinating Committee functioned to ensure uniformity in the use of concepts, in training
practices and the other census routines and procedures among participating countries. The
conduct of fieldwork, editing and coding of documents remained the responsibility of each
country. The 1970 census data were processed and published according to common tabulation
plan for all countries.
In 1980, some countries of the region were unable to carry out the Census at the appointed
time. Nevertheless, through efforts of the Regional Census Coordination Committee, agreement
was reached on a set of common procedures, concepts and definitions for the conduct of the
census which would permit some regional comparisons among countries on basic demographic
characteristics.
Trinidad and Tobago conducted its 1980 Census during the period 14th April to 12th May 1980,
having independently organized its fieldwork and data processing activities. Most other
countries conducted the census during the same period. Except for the Bahamas, Jamaica and
Trinidad and Tobago, the other countries of the region utilized a common mark-sensing
document as the census questionnaire and most of the processing was done at the Regional
Processing centre located in Barbados.
The Population and Housing Census 1990 in Trinidad and Tobago was conducted during 17th
April to 15th May 1990, again with close links with the Census Regional Coordinating Committee
and the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians. Most of the countries of the region
including Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Kitts/Nevis, St Vincent
and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbados conducted their censuses during 1991.
THE 2000 POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS
Trinidad and Tobago remains closely linked to the regional organisation of the 2000 Census
Regional Coordination Committee, the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians and a
party to the planning and procedures adopted for the 2000 Census. In deciding to conduct its
census independent of the regional establishment, Trinidad and Tobago adhered to the
principles of regional comparability. Cognizance was also taken of the international
requirements set by the United Nations for purposes of international comparison and enquiry.
Consequently, one of the major considerations exercised was the evaluation of topics proposed
for the Trinidad and Tobago Census against recommendations of the United Nations and the
Caribbean Regional Census Coordination Committee. The questionnaire adopted was intended
to reflect responsiveness to both regional and international requirements while at the same time,
reflecting the need for data at the national level.
THE 2010 POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS
The next decennial census was scheduled to be conducted in May/June 2010 but was deferred
when a Central Government Elections was called. The ne w date of that census was 9th January
2011.