Istat censuses

In the post-war period, in order to make up for the failure to carry out the above-mentioned censuses and because of the need to make an initial inventory of the country’s conditions, the Institute, together with the Ministry of Reconstruction, drew up a plan to carry out some extraordinary censuses by 1946. The request for funds from the Ministry of the Treasury, however, was rejected due to the poor results of the previous extraordinary censuses carried out by the Allied Control Commission for the central and southern provinces in October 1944. In fact, for budgetary reasons, the Institute was unable to carry out the censuses in the period between 1945 and 1951, although it had worked tirelessly to prepare them.

For the 1951 population census, a complete publicity campaign was carried out and a Commission for census propaganda was set up for the occasion, which included representatives of the ministries concerned, trade union organisations, state television (RAI), the Istituto Nazionale Luce and also “a representative of the ecclesiastical authority, due to the great importance and value of the support that can be given by parish priests and religious orders”.

In 1951, along with the population census, the first housing census and the third census of industry and commerce were carried out, with economic and time advantages resulting from the possibility of using the same organisation for the three surveys in the preparatory, collection, counting and analysis phases.

Finally, two commemorative stamps were issued, one for the population census and the other for the industrial and commercial census.

1961 can be defined as the year of the count of Italy. Three censuses were in fact carried out: the population and housing census, the industry and services census and the agriculture census. On the occasion of the surveys, the Istituto Luce produced two newsreels: one in black and white for the population census (La grande conta degli italiani) and another in colour (Il censimento del centenario). Due to the limited use of data from the previous agricultural census, the 1961 census is in fact the first general census of the primary sector.

A second agricultural census was also conducted in 1970 and, at the same time, but with a separate questionnaire, the first census of vineyards.

Television is used to publicise the 1971 censuses in order to gain a better knowledge of the socio-economic reality of the country and to illustrate how to fill in the survey sheets11.

In 1981, the general population census, the general housing census and the general census of industry, commerce, services and handicrafts were carried out, while the agricultural census was conducted in 1982. On the occasion of these surveys, Istat paid particular attention to communication aspects centred on two major campaigns, the advertising campaign and the opinion campaign, also making use of an advertising agency.

The 1981 population census marked a turning point in terms of data quality, introducing significant innovations that have been confirmed over time. For the first time, a sample survey was carried out to estimate the degree of coverage of the census survey, while, in order to facilitate the widest use of the census results, local authorities (regions, provinces and municipalities) were allowed to acquire individual data. Among the many uses of census data was an analysis of respondents’ daily movements, and particularly interesting was the research that led to the identification of local labour systems, an information system that continues to be updated.

Numerous innovations were introduced with the 1990 and 1991 censuses: for the first time, remote sensing was used to map and accurately document residential settlements including squatters. The main strategic lines in order to prevent coverage errors are: a) a more confidential communication approach to induce respondents’ involvement (television advertising, awareness-raising campaign, toll-free number, etc.); b) the strengthening of inspection activities; c) the use of a telematic system to monitor census operations; d) the revision of questionnaires at local level to shorten the time taken to disseminate census data.

The 2000s marked a turning point in the evolutionary path of Italian economic censuses, at the end of a cycle of innovation opened in 1994 with the start of the creation of the Statistical Archives of Active Enterprises (Asia), the Archives of Public Institutions (Asip) and the Archives of Non-Profit Institutions (Asimp).

A new survey technique was introduced that implies an advance on the traditional ‘door-to-door’ technique. Each surveyor was provided with a list of all active local units present. For each of these units, a customised questionnaire was produced, partially pre-filled with the information on file. Respondents were simply asked to update the survey questionnaire by adding missing information and correcting or confirming pre-printed information.

A number of innovations were also introduced for the Population Census to guarantee the quality of the data collected. Thanks to the involvement of solidarity and voluntary organisations, the Institute also managed to reach ‘difficult’ population targets, including immigrants. In order to overcome the mistrust of citizens and encourage greater participation, an integrated communication campaign was launched to promote the census on various levels. Both traditional and new media (internet) were used, as well as widespread information tools (from brochures to posters).

Even the logo of the census (reproduced alongside) is designed with a view to promoting greater participation where the word census and the ‘X’ that characterises it have the specific aim of evoking the idea of personal involvement emphasised by the slogan ‘The Italy you are, the Italy you will be’.

All the new censuses can be consulted on the internet through a data warehouse. Statistics were also brought to school desks with the intention of reaching the very young, taking the opportunity of the 2001 general censuses.

The 2010-2011 censuses were the first censuses to include the possibility of online compilation.

In the population census, almost 40 per cent of respondents were interviewed via the Internet, which allows for an extraordinary gain in timeliness of data publication. The integration of new and old is underlined by the advertising campaign:

‘Agriculture has changed, tell us how’, ‘Let’s gather answers, let’s sow the future’, ‘The Italy to come starts here’, ‘Census 2011: give answers to your future’. The style of the advertising campaign was also new, with a convoy of twenty-one vans ‘dressed’ in the census brand and colours travelling around the country to provide clarification on the many new features (the Census tour) and the Census points, dedicated to disseminating information on the Census at high-traffic locations such as stations, shopping centres and cinemas. To promote the Census, young people were approached with the ‘Ciak si conta’ initiative, which involved making commercials that were then published on YouTube and awarded prizes.

There were many new features on the population census questionnaire: there were questions on the energy efficiency of homes, the use of mobile phones and Internet connection.

ISTAT was embarking on a new path: the season of permanent censuses was launched, with the implementation of sample and continuous surveys, at annual and triennial intervals.

The strategy of permanent censuses, in line with European development policies and Istat’s modernisation programme, is extended to all subject areas: population and housing, businesses, non-profit and public institutions, and agriculture.

Unlike the censuses of the past, permanent censuses only involve representative samples of businesses and institutions from time to time. However, the return to the country of the data obtained is census-like, thus referable to the entire field of observation.

By integrating administrative sources with sample surveys, in fact, it is possible to guarantee exhaustiveness, increase the quantity and quality of the information supply, contain the statistical burden on citizens and economic operators and reduce overall costs.