Mexico National Census, 1930 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Foreign Language Title
México, Censo Nacional de 1930.

Collection Time Period
Mexico’s first national census was conducted in 1895, but this information pertains to records for the year 1930.

Record Description
Population schedules consist of large sheets with rows and columns. The sheets are arranged in bundles by municipality and then by place, such as city, village, or ranch. The original schedules are at the National Archives (Archivo General de la Nación) in Mexico City. The records have been preserved on microfilm by the Genealogical Society of Utah.

Record Content
Important genealogical information in the 1930 census includes: 


 * Full name
 * Age
 * Sex
 * Head of household
 * Birthplace
 * Whether single, married, widowed, or divorced
 * Whether married civilly or by the church
 * Nationality
 * Religion
 * Occupation
 * Native language
 * Street address and house number

How to Use the Records
The Mexico 1930 Census is the best source to quickly identify a family group and residence. With the information found take your ancestor’s age, place of residence, and birth state if available to search for him/her in other records. The census identifies other people living in the household and may identify people for whom other records simply do not exist.

You need to know the name of your ancestor for those places that are indexed. If the ancestor has a common name, you must know the place of residence to determine which index entry is the correct one. If you do not find your ancestor in the index, use the place of residence and search that place page by page.

An important clue found in the Mexico 1930 Census is found in the answer to the question of whether the person was married civilly or by the Church. The answer to this question will lead either to find a marriage record in the Civil Registration or the Marriage Records of the Catholic Church.

Record History
While earlier attempts were made to enumerate the Mexican population, the 1895 census was considered the first federal or national census. Beginning in 1900, censuses were conducted every 10 years. The 1930 census was conducted on May 15 and was the first census in which returns were processed centrally. Because of this, most of the original sheets still exist. This census is widely recognized as one of Mexico’s best planned and executed censuses, and it is also the only one accessible to the public. Due to undercounting and some record loss, primarily for the Federal District, the 1930 census covers about 90 percent of the population.

Why This Collection Was Created?
Mexico conducted its national census for demographic and statistical purposes.

Collection Reliability The Mexico 1930 Census is usually reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care taken by the census enumerator. Realize that information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or even by a neighbor. Some information may be incorrect or have been deliberately falsified.

Record Reliability
The Mexico 1930 Census is usually reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care taken by the census enumerator. Realize that information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or even by a neighbor. Some information may be incorrect or have been deliberately falsified.

Related Web Sites
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Related Wiki Articles
Mexico Census

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
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Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above. Examples of citations:


 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

Style Guide
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Sources of Information for This Collection:
"Mexico Census, 1930", database, FamilySearch; from Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática, Ciudad de México, México. 5º Censo de población, 1930, Archivo General de la Nación, Ciudad de México, México. FHL microfilm, 55 reels. Family History Library, Salt lake City, Utah.

The format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the following link: How to Create Source Citations for FamilySearch Historical Records Collections