Censuses

Time is coming for the general 2010-2011 Censuses - an enormous undertaking that brings us invaluable knowledge.

The agricultural Census will begin in October 2010, while the Censuses of population and housing and industry and services will begin a year later.

A pilot survey is presently under way to fine tune the final version of the population and housing Census questionnaire and data gathering methods.

The upcoming censuses include new developments on both the informational dimension - we will be gathering more information than ever before - and the organizational dimension, with the application of computerized data gathering tools.

Each decade, the Censuses provide us with a snapshot of the country that is more detailed than any other survey. Uniform criteria are applied to the entire country to facilitate inter-regional comparisons within Italy and throughout Europe, with all member States conducting comparable censuses. This type of information is indispensable for public and territorial planning officials and is sure to be useful for the citizens themselves. One example tells all: census data reveal the population's geographical distribution, which helps Civil Protection services program effective evacuation plans to use in case of natural disasters.

For businesses and professional associations, census data are essential for activity planning, market research and comprehending the structure of the Italian manufacturing world.