The measurement of population characteristics - chapter 2

Question 1

What is a census?

Answer 1

Detailed collection of information on a regular basis e.g. every 10 years.
Data collected - employment, ethnicity, educational attainment, housing type and ownership ect.

Question 2

How is a census taken in the UK?

Answer 2

Data is collected by areas of the local government or by postcode.
One census collector is designated to an area - enumeration district.

Question 3

Who is the census information of use to? 2

Answer 3

1. Governments - basis for the allocation of resources e.g. health and education.
2. Non governmental bodies - retailers, advertisers and property developers etc.

Question 4

Why are census collections difficult to organise? 3

Answer 4

1. Rejection - privacy violation.
2. No census forms return.
3. Political conditions - difficult to organise.

Question 5

What does a census do at national government level? 5

Answer 5

1. Records trends over the previous 10 years - helps plan for the future.
2. Helps with natural population change prediction and migration patterns.
3. Estimation of national housing demands.
4. Enables national transport planning.
5. Snapshot of the diversity of the country.

Question 6

What does a census do for businesses and commerce? 5

Answer 6

1. Census information can be linked to other data sources e.g. credit card data.
2. Enables targeted marketing.
3. Enables the insurance industry to assess risk more effectively.
4. Enables retailers to invest in optimum locations where spending power is at its highest.
5. Allows firms to target goods in stores according to the profile of the population.
   E.g. supermarkets stock more prepared foods in areas where there are a greater number of young single adults.