Ethno-cultural groups in Population Censuses
An evaluation of the UNECE/EUROSTAT Recommendations
for Population Censuses and proposals for the 2010 round of
Censuses
Dr. Werner Haug, Switzerland
([email protected])
The relevance of Population Censuses
– Data on ethno-cultural groups are important for democracy and
good governance, cultural development, integration policies and
the protection of minority rights (see e.g. UNDP, Human
development report 2004).
– Population Censuses are still the most important and in many
countries the only source of statistical data on the ethnic, language
and religious groups in the population. This essentially for two
reasons:
 In most cases, sample surveys can’t catch ethno-cultural
groups adequately because the groups are too small and
unevenly distributed in the country.
 Register data are generally not available because of the
politically sensitive, often subjective and potentially unstable
nature of ethno-cultural characteristics.
Incomplete Census Recommendations
– Although most countries of the world collect data on ethno-cultural
characteristics of the population, the UN Census
recommendations remain vague and leave definitions, data
collection procedures and classifications entirely to national
statistical authorities.
– An increasing body of statistical experience and scientific analysis
is available that allows to improve the recommendations and thus
contribute to better data quality in national contexts and to
enhanced international comparability of data.
Ethnic affiliation in 2000
Total: 46 countries in the
UNECE region
Ethnic affiliation
Number of countries
asking a question
% of Total
29
63%
25
86%
4
16%
total
According to
recommendations
Other approach
Ethnic affiliation in 2000
– It is quite impressive to see that 29 countries (out of 46) asked a
question regarding ethnic affiliation. Those who did not are mostly
in Western Europe. 2 countries restricted the question to certain
subpopulations (e.g. Gypsies), 2 asked in addition for ancestry
and race (UK, USA).
– The high compliance with the recommendations is essentially the
result of the lack of detail of the 2000 recommendations. They
include only a general definition of ethnic group (common origin
and cultural particularities), a reference to the notion of national
group (without explicit distinction from ethnic group) and they
underline the principle of self-declaration.
Language in 2000
Total: 46 countries of UN/ECE
region
Number of countries
asking a question
% of Total
Language total
35
76%
a) Mother tongue
21
60%
b) Main language
3
8%
c) Most spoken
language(s)
11
31%
d) Knowledge of
language(s)
19
54%
Language in 2000
– Three of four countries asked at least one question on language.
Some countries limited the question to certain minority languages
or the use of the majority language.
– The 2000 recommendations were much more detailed than in the
case of ethnic group and religion and distinguished four different
questions, two questions with only one possible answer (a, b) and
two with the possibility of multiple answers (c,d).
– The proposed priorities for questions b: main language and c:
most spoken language were however not followed.
Religion 2000
Total: 46 countries of UN/ECE
region
Religion total
Number of countries
asking a question
% of Total
24
52%
a) Formal membership
6
25%
b) Religious belief
9
38%
c) Participation in
religious practice
-
0%
Other concepts
9
38%
Religion 2000
– One of two countries asked a question regarding religious
communities and denominations. The questions regarding religion
are the most sensitive (from the data protection point of view) but
very often there is also less diversity than with respect to language
and ethnic group.
– Three different concepts were proposed. One concept (religious
practice) was never used and 9 countries choose a slightly
different concept, referring to the identification with certain
communities or denominations.
– The proposed priority for question a: formal membership of a
church or community in the case of a single question was not
followed either.
General issues and proposals I
–
Questions regarding ethnicity, language are of relevance
to an increasing number of countries as a result of
migration processes and minority policies. At the same
time, it is increasingly recognized that the questions are
complex and multifaceted.
–
To gain a deeper understanding of the origins and
diversity of populations, data about the ethno-cultural
characteristics of different generations (parents and
grand-parents, i.e. ancestry) become highly relevant.
General issues and proposals II
–
Affiliation with ethnic group is distinct from language
and/or religion, although overlaps are frequent. The
combined collection and analysis of data on ethnic
affiliation, language and/or religion is particularly
informative for the understanding of cultural diversity.
–
Questions on ethno-cultural characteristics have
subjective dimensions and groups are often small. The
free declaration of the respondents is therefore of crucial
importance and has to be safeguarded.
General issues and proposals III
– All items should include an open answer box (not
precoded) to allow for the free identification of small groups.
– The transparency of concepts for the interviewers and the
respondents during field work and the full documentation
of coding and classification procedures in census reports is
of crucial importance.
General issues and proposals III
–
Register data are only of limited relevance to the topic
and can at best cover certain aspects (e.g. the formal
membership of a church or religious community or the
official language in a given territory).
–
Representatives of ethnic, language and religious minority
groups should be allowed to participate in the drafting of
census questionnaires, the definition of classifications and
the field work to assure the correct understanding of the
questions and to guarantee the full participation of minority
populations.
Specific issues: ethnic affiliation
– The recommendations should be enriched and contain more
detail
– The definition should be enlarged: include a reference to
ways of life/customs and to the concept of colour and race
– Propose questions on ethnic origin/ancestry
– Insist on the distinction between ethnic affilialtion and
nationality (in the sense of citizenship)
– Delete notion of national group, consider it a subgroup of
ethnic group
– Adress the issue of children from mixed marriages and the
problem of multiple identities
Specific issues: language
– Drop the priority of main language before mother tongue
and the priority of spoken language before the knowledge of
languages
– Include a reference to the need for multilingual
questionnaires or questionnaires in different languages
– Insist on the importance of interviewers that speak the
minority languages
Specific issues: religion
– Change the list of proposed questions: drop question on
religious practices
– Introduce new questions on 1. identification with a
community or denomination and 2. the denomination in
which a person was brought up
– Drop the priority for the question on formal membership of a
church or coummunity
– Insist on the possibility to answer « none »
– Propose a common classification of the main world religions
and denominations