Brazil prepares for the 2010 Population Census

The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) will conduct, in August 2010, the twelfth Demographic Brazilian Census. The operation will involve more than 200 thousand professionals, including technicians, supervisors and interviewers. The total budget of the operation is estimated at around US$ 600 million. The 2010 Census will use new technologies on a large scale. Handheld computers, successfully used in the 2007 head count, will replace the traditional paper questionnaire and major investment is being made in the preparation of a digital census mapping, which comprises the urban and rural territorial maps, the enumeration areas’ boundaries as well as the National Address File for Statistical Purpose.

Since the inception of the 2010 Demographic Census project in 2007, meetings have been held with the Ministries in order to structure the project. Thematic meetings to discuss the questions on housing, religion, race, indigenous population, language, disability, marriage, fertility, mortality, migration, displacement, shantytowns, education, health, employment and income, family, usual residence, health, employment and agriculture have been conducted with the participation of specialists. Besides, technical discussions on methodology and technology have been carried out.

In this preparatory stage, two Pilot Tests have already been conducted in order to test the questions, to check the supervision scheme and also operational and technological issues for the 2010 Demographic Census. The census dress rehearsal is planned to be taken from August to October 2009.

In addition to the general pilot tests, three joint pilot tests have been conducted in the scope of the Common Census in the MERCOSUR Project. Such tests have been conducted along the border with Argentina and Paraguay. The first thematic test was on disability, the second on international migration and the third one was directed to the indigenous population and conducted by Brazil and Paraguay. IBGE, in a joint action with the General Directorate for Statistics, Surveys and Censuses of Paraguay (DGEEC) carried out last November the Third Joint Pilot Test for the 2010 Population Census. The test focused on indigenous populations, living in communities. This joint test was carried on as part of the horizontal technical co-operation between the countries member of the project for harmonization and evaluation of the censuses, in the scope of the Harmonized 2010 Round Census Project for the four MERCOSUR countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) plus Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador and Venezuela. The aim of the test was conceptual framework for investigation of the indigenous population and its characteristics. Representatives of the NSO for eight of the nine countries in the Project and also from Peru accompanied the fieldwork at indigenous villages on both sides of the border Brazil - Paraguay. After the fieldwork observation, the representatives discussed their findings in an Evaluation Seminar, which was also attended by anthropologists from both countries and representatives of some UN Agencies.

As part of the technology innovation project, IBGE is conducting a study of viability on data collection through the Internet. The first stage of the project, which comprises the network capacity requirements, the security system, and the first version of the electronic questionnaire, is concluded. The first field test is planned for March 2009.

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