4. Age: How old is this person?
(Children less than one year write 00.)
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Question 4: Age
65. Age is the interval of time in years which separate the date of birth from that of the census. No effort should be spared to determine the specific age of each person. Write down in whole numbers the age of the people.
Example: Jacques says that is age 18 and 9 months. Write down 18 years old.
However, for babies who have not yet celebrated their first birthday write down 00 years, no matter how many months are given for the child.
Example: Lucien is 11 months and a half. Write down 00 years.
If the person in question does not know his age precisely, it is recommended that you use the historic calendar placed in the appendix of the present manual. You will thus obtain an estimate of his age, first by asking this question: Under which president were you born? Then by specifying from some historical events known to the individual or furthermore by comparison with a person from the same family and background who knows his own age exactly.
It sometimes happens that the head of household will leave out the young children without thinking. When the enumerator writes down the youngest person mentioned by him, he should then insist of the head of household in asking questions such as:
- Is he really the youngest child?
- Are there any children younger than he is? Which ones?
In the same way he should regularly ask the question:
- Are there any children less than one year old currently absent?