Census

Scope

This guide applies to records created as part of an enumeration of the inhabitants of a specific geographic region, usually recurring on a set schedule. Examples of more specific child types include Census Extract Records, Citizen Registers, Population Records, and Tax Census Records. Census records may cover different scopes such as national, state/provincial, or municipal levels. If a record clearly matches one of these or other types defined in the controlled vocabulary for record types, use the corresponding record type instead. The broad designation ‘Census’ should be used only when the record cannot be classified under a more specific child type.

What Are Census Records and How Do You Recognize Them?

Census records document systematic population counts and related demographic information for a defined geographic area. They often include lists of individuals or households, along with details such as age, sex, occupation, and residence. These records are typically created for administrative, taxation, or planning purposes and may appear as registers, schedules, or tabular forms.

Elements Sometimes Found in Census Records

• Name of geographic region (country, state/province, municipality)
• Date or census year
• Names of individuals or heads of households
• Demographic details (age, sex, marital status)
• Occupation or trade
• Residence or address
• Household composition
• Remarks or notes

Natural Group

Each separate volume (register, schedule, bound volume, folder, etc.) should be captured as a separate digital folder.

Descriptive Metadata

Date: Enter the census year or date range when the records were created.

Locality: Enter the name of the geographic region covered by the census. If unavailable, enter the locality of the archive or administrative office.

Creator: Enter the name of the government or administrative body that conducted the census.

Volume: Enter the volume designation used by the archive or custodian.

Title: In the language of the records, enter the title designated by the archive. Otherwise, enter the title as it appears on the cover, spine, or title page of the natural group.

Custodian Reference ID: If the archive has applied a reference ID to each volume, enter the ID in the format relevant to the archive. Enter a single hyphen (-) to indicate if no such ID exists.

Keywords (Selected Languages)

Important Note

If the record clearly belongs to a defined child type, do not use ‘Census’ as the record type. This category is for records that cannot be classified under any more specific type.