Turkey Census

Asia Turkey

Population Registers [Nüfūs Defter]
Research use: These registers establish family groups and individual identity.

Record type: The earliest census reports from Turkey date from 1831.† But these generally count number of households or even of persons, but they recorded few names. The census laws of 1875 and 1884 established a system of civil registration, with the population registers kept at the local district [kaza] level, to update the census by adding new information about births, marriages, and deaths. Permanent registers were compiled in an initial census survey; thereafter vital information was added as births, marriages, and deaths occurred. Initial census surveys were conducted throughout the empire in 1876-1878, 1882-1885, and again in 1903-1906. NOTE: The first survey is incomplete because of the Ottoman-Russian War. Supplemental registration of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths were sometimes added to the register itself or sometimes compiled in separate registers.

Time period: 1876 to the end of Ottoman rule, probably 1915.

Contents: The first population register (1876-1881) listed only males. After 1882 the registers list the names of household members including children; sex; birth date; residence; age; religion; craft or occupation; marital status, marriage date; health; military status. If deceased, the register provides the death date or crosses out the name of the deceased.

Location: For areas presently in Turkey the registers are in provincial (sancak) registration offices. For some regions no longer in Turkey, the registers are either centralized in an archive of the present country (e.g. Israel), or may be partially or completely in a Turkish archive, possibly the National Archives [Babakanlk Arivi] (also referred to as the Prime Ministry Archives) or the Sulaymaniye Library in stanbul.

Percentage in Family History Library: Less than 1%. The Library has lists of Armenians in stanbul. The Library has good examples of these registers from the Ottoman province of Palestine, now Israel (462 rolls).

Population coverage: About 90%. Women are likely undercounted. Remote areas may not be fully counted.

Reliability: Good, though the information may be incomplete due to inefficient bureaucracy and because of evasion to avoid conscription.