Census

A census systematically collects data from every member of a defined population. Unlike a sample survey, it aims to cover the entire population rather than infer its characteristics from a subset.

Census enumeration: The process of identifying and recording each member of a population for a census. Enumeration turns the goal of complete coverage into a countable operational task.
Target population: The complete set of people, units, or events a statistical study aims to describe. A census can claim completeness only after its target population is precisely defined.
United States census: The decennial population and housing enumeration conducted by the United States government. It illustrates how a national census supports representation and produces population statistics.
Domesday Book: The 1086 survey of landholding, resources, and taxable property commissioned by William I of England. It is a notable early example of a state survey built to assess people and resources.
Register-based census: A census produced by linking administrative registers rather than collecting responses through a single enumeration. It can replace or supplement direct enumeration while still seeking population-wide coverage.
Census questionnaire: A standardized instrument that gathers specified information from census respondents. Its wording determines which characteristics the census can measure consistently.
Statistical unit: The entity about which data are collected and analyzed in a statistical study. Censuses must specify whether they count people, households, businesses, or other units.
Population census: A count and description of the people living in a defined territory at a specified time. This is the best-known census type and a foundation for demographic statistics.
Roman census: A periodic Roman registration of citizens and property used for taxation, military duties, and civic classification. Roman enumeration linked population records to obligations and political status.
Rolling census: A census approach that collects data continuously across areas or groups over a multi-year cycle. It contrasts with a single census day by spreading enumeration over time.

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