The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) has started a three-month countdown for the 2010 Census data collection...

The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) has started a three-month countdown for the 2010 Census data collection. Starting on August 1^st, IBGE enumerators will visit all the 59 million households in the country, in order to present a new portrait o Brazilian society, through a vast group of data relative to demography, society, economy and housing in the country. As a single household survey with detailed information about the 5,565 Brazilian municipalities, the Census will investigate household characteristics, kinship, fertility, education, labor, income, color and race and religion, resulting in information that will lie on the basis of public and private planning for the coming decade. The Census questionnaire (Basic Survey Questionnaire) present questions aimed at identifying the social changes occurred since the 2000 Census. The 2010 edition will be thoroughly computerized, and interviews will be done through handheld computers equipped with GPS receivers and digital maps. A base map dividing the country into about 314 thousand enumeration areas has been created for the coming census. Each tract will have an enumerator visiting all its households in order to collect information. With and expected budget of R$ 1.67 billion, the 2010 Census will employ over 225 thousand census agents and enumerators. For the first time it will be possible to answer the census questionnaire through the Internet, by means of a password provided by the enumerator. The first results will be available in December this year and the release of final and thematic results will start in 2011.

In order to cover about 8.5 million square kilometers of the Brazilian territory in the census operation, IBGE has created areas, which are divided into 1,283 subareas and also 6,823 computerized data collection units all over the country. Besides regular IBGE servants, this operation will employ other 33,138 census agents and 191,972 enumerators. The latter will visit 58 million households in the country, administering the Basic 2010 Census Questionnaire, or the Sample Questionnaire, to a group ranging from 5% to 50% of the households, according to the population size of each municipality. All questions in the basic questionnaire are included in the sample questionnaire, to ensure that these questions in common be answered by all households and persons.

The basic questionnaire brings questions about the characteristics of household members (sex, age, color or race, education, income) and households (condition of occupation, number of bathrooms, water supply, sewage disposal, existence of electricity, garbage disposal). Compared to the 2000 Census, the basic questionnaire for the 2010 Census has introduced items referring to new kinship relations, shared responsibility for the household, existence of an electricity gauge, possession of birth certificates, native indigenous ethnicity and language.

The sample questionnaire brings, besides questions from the basic questionnaire, more comprehensive and detailed questions about the characteristics of households and their dwellers (religion, permanent physical/mental disability, migration, marital status, fertility, education, labor and income, among others). In relation to the last Census, in what concerns permanent private households, the sample questionnaire included questions about the predominant material in outside walls, existence of a personal computer with Internet access, of a cell phone and a motorcycle. With reference to household members, the questionnaire included the attendance to graduate specialization courses (360 hours) and increased the number of questions about commuting, including the time spent in this process.

The creation of questionnaires for the 2010 Census took into consideration more than nine thousand suggestions of users of information from IBGE, sent to the web site, besides suggestions from other governmental institutions, researchers and national and international organizations. Several forums took place during the process of questionnaire elaboration and choice.

New family arrangements

So as to investigate new family arrangements existing in current society, between 2000 and 2010, the survey about family relationships has gained nine more different categories to define the type of relationship or kinship of the informant and other household members with the head of household, with an increase from 10 to 19 possible types.

The list includes, for example, the categories “same sex partner”, “child of one partner only”, “stepchild”, “co-inhabitant”, “pension-receiver”, “non-relative living in the household”, “relative of the domestic worker”, among others. In order to know about motherhood and investigate families living in the same household, all the residents will be asked if they have a living mother and who this person is, as well as all the kinship relations between partners in the household.

Information about color and race

In the 2010 Census, IBGE will ask the color and race of all Brazilians. In the 2000 Census, color and race were only investigated in the Sample questionnaire, that is, part of the population answered and their reply corresponded to the total population. In 2010, the question about who declared to be white, yellow, brown or indigenous will be part of the basic questionnaire, thus leading to better geographic detailing of the ethnic composition of the population.

2010 Census will investigate indigenous languages for the first time

Besides Portuguese, about other 210 languages are spoken in Brazil, being 190 of them indigenous ones. For the first time, the Census will investigate the language spoken by Indians living in the national territory. At the same time it will show a panorama of the linguistic diversity in the country, the mapping of such languages will make it possible to establish public policies aimed at their recognition, preservation and promotion. IBGE has included this topic in the Census questionnaire as a reply to demands from scholars who study Indian-related issues and after a discussion with a grou of specialists and representatives of the Brazilian National Indian Foundation (Funai).

Brazilians who live or study abroad

The coming Census will show the number of Brazilians who live or study abroad. By means of information given by families who have relatives studying abroad, IBGE intends to obtain the demographic pattern of the population who has emigrated and their place of residence.

Commuting to work or study

The Census will investigate the commuting habits from home to work or to school or the like. The information obtained will help in the identification of commuting between neighboring municipalities, which is relevant when it comes to planning an integrated transportation system. The 2010 Census will ask if the person works from home, or in another municipality or country, and also if they come back from work every day, besides investigating the time spent on the way to work from home.

Birth Certificates

According to the Civil Registry Statistics produced by IBGE, about 9% of the children who were born in 2008 have not been registered. In order to know the profile of these families and where they live, IBGE will ask, for the first time, if children aged up to 10 have a birth certificate or a correspondent document for indigenous children, if it is the case. This way it will become easier to implement Civil Registry policies and campaigns.

2010 Census Sample

In municipalities with up to 2,500 persons (260 municipalities), the Sample questionnaire will be administered in 50% of the households; the other 50% will answer the Basic questionnaire. Among the municipalities in the group of 2,5 thousand to 8 thousand residents (1,912 municipalities), about one third (33%) of the households will answer the Sample questionnaire; in those with more than 8 thousand to 20 thousand persons  (1,749 municipalities), the bigger questionnaire will be administered in 20% of the households; whereas in those in 20% with more than 20 thousand to 500 thousand persons (1,604), this figure will decrease to 10%. In the 40 Brazilian municipalities which have more than 500 inhabitants, in general, 5% of the households will answer the Sample questionnaire, except some districts and sub-districts with bigger sampling fractions.

The importance of answering the Census questionnaire

Answering the Census questionnaire is an act of citizenship done in favor of all the Brazilians and foreigners who live in the country. One can say that since population censuses are the only source of information about the life conditions of the population in the municipalities.

The survey produces essential information for the definition of public policies and for the decision-making process concerning investments in the fields of health, education, housing, sanitation and transportation. The Census provides information which helps in the considerations aimed at the opening of factories, shopping malls, day-care centers, movie theaters, restaurants, etc. it also provides references for national population prospects, based on which the national Court of Audit defines the shares for the Municipal Participation Fund, and eventually determine the number the number of deputies and councilmen.

Planning for the coming Census started in 2007, but the pace of activities only really escalated in 2008, especially in terms of the construction of the base map and of the National Address List for Statistical Purposes, the organization of Simplified Selection Processes for the contraction of temporary personnel, the start of State Census Commissions and Municipal Commissions of Geography and Statistics (CMGEs), the conduction of pilot surveys, tests, Census Rehearsal, training, equipment acquisition, Pre-collection and others.

More than one million persons have applied to work in the 2010 Census

The conduction of the 2010 Census has required a major personnel selection process subdivided into several steps: there professionals involved in planning, logistics and operating activities. A total 225 thousand workers will be contracted on a temporary basis to work for the institution during the census.

There have been tow Simplified Selection Processes: on September 21, 2009, IBGE started receiving applications for the test which would select Municipal Census Agents (ACM); Supervising Census Agents (ACS), Computer-science Census Agents (ACI), Regional Census Agents (ACR) and Administrative Census Agents (ACA). The other Selection Process, intended to hire 191,972 enumerators is currently being conducted in all the municipalities in the country, and has received over one million registrations.  The exam is scheduled for May 30^th.

Society takes part in the 2010 Census by means of Municipal Commissions of Geography and Statistics

Representatives of the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary Powers and also institutions belonging to the civil society have been monitoring and helping in the 2010 Census activities in State Census Commissions (CCE) and in the Municipal Commissions of Geography and Statistics (CMGEs). Starting their activities in July, in 5,564 municipalities (except in Macuco/RJ), the Commissions had, in the second meeting, more than 60 thousand registered members. They work as a channel for communication between IBGE and society and have participated in the process of conduction of the 2010 Census.

Commission members are getting to know the maps used by IBGE to locate all the districts and municipalities belonging to each municipality, according to the municipal regulation in effect at the moment. Besides, it will be possible for them to evaluate the quality of the work of census takers and ensure transparency to the proper territory coverage for each location. At the end, the CMGEs will be informed of provisional results even before they are released. IBGE will keep such commissions active after the Census, so they can be in permanent contact with the Brazilian municipalities. This way, the Municipal Commissions (CMGEs) will allow society to increase social participation in the planning, execution and dissemination of studies, mappings and surveys conducted by IBGE.

IBGE can also clear doubts about the 2010 Census by telephone. Call 08007218181.