Report on a Census Enumeration

The enumeration conducted for the purposes of the SecondPopulation Census of Pakistan, 1961 was carried out, with some minorexceptions', between January 12,1961 and January 31,1961. An earlierhousing census provi¬ded a frame for the population census. The housingcensus was carried out, depending on the area of the country, some twoor three months before the population census. This note is concernedsolely with the observations made during the field enumeration conductedfor the purposes of the popula¬tion census. It discusses no aspects ofthe housing census unless immediately relevant to the observationscarried out. It is further limited in as much as it discussespractically no aspects of pre-enumeration preparations includingproblems of questionnaire design, and not at all the question ofanalysis of results. The taking of a decennial population census is abig event in the life of a nation under any circumstances. It isparticularly important when it is a second census, which, apart from theinterest, in its own findings, will also enhance the value of the firstcensus due to the inter-censal comparisons which can be made.Furthermore, it is of outstanding importance in the circumstances of aneconomy with sights fixed far and high on the horizon of better future,but the hopes of which can be fulfilled or broken by the size of thisone variable: population growth. Its results are likely to provide themain source of information for demographic research in the next decade.It was not possible to consult with the census authorities on thecarrying out of an independent post-enumeration check2. In thecircumstances the some¬what unusual alternative of observing theenumeration by the two of us was decided upon.