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The Census in Portugal
The first known census of the population in the territory that is now Portugal was carried out in the year zero, by order of Emperor Cesar Augustus and corresponded to the so-called Roman province of Lusitania. Later, in the Middle Ages, the Arabs also conducted several censuses during their presence in the Iberian Peninsula.
After the foundation of nationality, several extensive counts were carried out, mainly of a military nature. These “enumerations”, “counts” and even “censuses”, not being exhaustive and/or not based on credible statistical principles, cannot be considered equivalent to the series of censuses initiated in 1864.
The operations carried out were the following:
- Rol de Besteiros do Conto, de D. Afonso III (1260-1279);
- Rol de Besteiros do Conto, de D. João I (1421-1422);
- Numeramento ou Cadastro Geral do Reino, de D. João III (1527);
- Resenha de Gente de Guerra, de D. Filipe III (1639);
- Lista dos Fogos e Almas que há nas Terras de Portugal, de D. João V (1732), também conhecida por Censo do Marquês de Abrantes;
- Numeramento de Pina Manique, de D. Maria I (1798);
- Recenseamento Geral do Reino, de D. João VI, também conhecido por Censo do Conde de Linhares (1801).
The 1st General Census of the Portuguese population, conducted under the international guidelines of the Brussels International Statistical Congress of 1853, took place in 1864, marking the beginning of the censuses of the modern era.
Although these guidelines already indicated that censuses should be conducted every 10 years, the next census only took place in 1878, followed by one in 1890. Since then, population censuses have been held, with some exceptions, at regular 10-year interval.
In 1910, the turbulence caused by the establishment of the Republic led to the census not being carried out, taking place in 1911, instead.
After the creation of Statistics Portugal in 1935, censuses started to be conducted by this Institute, the first of which took place in 1940.
Another important milestone in the history of censuses occurred in 1970, when the 1st Housing Census was carried out simultaneously with the Population Census.
In each census operation, Statistics Portugal introduces improvements aiming efficiency gains in the conduction of these operations. In 2001, the optical reading process of the questionnaires as well as the automatic processing of characters and expressions, led to significant advances in the processing of the collected data.
In 2011, buildings have been georeferenced for the first time and it was then possible to respond, with great success, via Internet. By then, the collaboration of the population contributed to Portugal become one of the countries with high response rates to Census via the Internet (50%).
In 2021, the 16th Population Census and the 6th Housing Census will take place.
Welcome to the Census 2021
An effective and convenient Census for the entire population.
Legislation Confidentiality
Get acquainted with the national and international legislation about the Census.
Censuses in the World
In recent decades, there has been a change in the census model used in many countries around the world. Censuses carried out using the traditional method have progressively and consistently been replaced by models based, partly or wholly, on administrative data.
The change in the census model, on a worldwide scale, aims to respond to Society in a more efficient and effective way, allowing for cost reduction, reduction of the statistical burden on the population and more frequent dissemination of information.
Census models are classified by the United Nations into four groups:
- Classic or traditional model (without using administrative data);
- Register-based – based exclusively on administrative records (without using surveys);
- Mixed or combined – use administrative information, complemented with results obtained from sample or exhaustive surveys;
- Rolling Censuses – a cumulative continuous sample survey where the universe is divided into different parts, each being observed each year/specific time (used only in France).
Becoming familiar with Statistics Portugal’s website
Access the data and findings of the previous Census and keep informed about the most recent studies on, for example, employment, migrations, the national GDP, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
2011 Census
Get to know all about the population, households, and housing portraited by the last Census conducted in Portugal.
