Sample characteristics: Pakistan

Census characteristics
  1973 1981 1998
Title of census Housing, Economic, Demographic Characteristics survey (H.E.D), 1973 Housing and Population Census, 1980-81 Fifth Housing and Population Census Pakistan
Census agency Population Census Organization Population Census Organization Population Census Organization
Population universe The non-institutional population. All the people who are residing in the boundaries of Pakistan on the Census Day, which include all types of persons (i.e., infants or babies, adults or old, males or females, landlords or tenants, Pakistanis or foreigners). The staff members of diplomats and their families are exempted. All those persons who reside in Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Northern areas and within the boundaries of tribal areas, including Afghans refugees mixing up and living with general population out of camps.
De jure or de facto De jure De facto and de jure De facto and de jure
Enumeration unit Household Household Household
Census day Not specified (January 1973) March 1, 1981 March 5, 1998
Field work period March 1-15, 1981 Ten days, during which the first day is the census day.
Enumeration forms used The HED sample survey was a second phase of the 1972 Census administered to 300,000 households. The first phase was a full-count census in September 1972 that used a seven-question short form.
The HED questionnaire contains two parts. Part I asks questions on housing characteristics and household facilities for both urban and rural areas. Part II asks questions particulars of household member.
There are two Population Census forms. The short form contains a few question on demographic characteristics including name, relationship, residential status, sex, age, marital status, religion, ability to read Quran, literacy, education level, and language used in the household. These questions were asked from about ninety percent of the population. The long form will be asked of the rest of the population, and it contains all the questions asked in the short form and additional questions on higher education, field of education, migration, economic characteristics, number of children, disability, and household members living abroad. There are two Population Census forms. The short form includes information about household characteristics, basic demographic information about persons in the household and additional information about religion, language, literacy and citizenship. The long form was collected for approximately 8% of the population and included additional questions about migration, disability, occupation, disability and fertility.
Type of field work Direct enumeration via house-to-house visits and personal interviews. Direct enumeration via house-to-house visits and personal interviews. Direct enumeration via house-to-house visits and personal interviews.
Respondent The head of the household, or some adult male members of the household The head or other responsible members of the household The head or other responsible members of the household
Coverage --- --- ---

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Microdata sample characteristics
  1973 1981 1998
Microdata source Population Census Organization Population Census Organization Population Census Organization
Sample design Approximately 24 thousand blocks were selected out of 75 thousand in the country. A sample of households would be taken from each block to yield 300,000 households. Urban households were oversampled relative to rural.
Roughly 15% of households do not have a head and appear to be fragments.
*NOTE: The sample excludes 4 districts in the North-West Frontier Province: Chitral, Dir, Swat, and Malakand Agency.
Systematic sample of every 10th person with a random start, drawn from a 38% sample containing a weight variable (Short form data) by the Minnesota Population Center. Persons were not organized into households. Systematic sample of every 10th household with a random start, drawn by the Minnesota Population Center.
*NOTE: The sample excludes 3 provinces: Fata, Northern Areas, and Kashmir.
Sample unit Household Person Household
Sample fraction 2% 10% 10%
Sample size (person records) 1,453,332 8,433,058 13,102,024
Sample weights Calculated by the census office Calculated by the census office, modified by IPUMS to reflect systematic subsampling. Self-weighting (expansion factor = 10).

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Units Identified in Microdata
  1973 1981 1998
Dwellings No No No
Vacant units No No No
Households Yes No Yes
Individuals Yes Yes Yes
Group quarters No No No
Special populations
Smallest geography District District District

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Unit Definitions (Census)
  1973 1981 1998
Dwellings Housing unit refers to those vacant places or residential places where a household can reside. A housing unit may consist of one room or there may be a few rooms which can be used for residential purpose or are being used for residential purpose. Places under bridges, empty cars of a train or boat can be these types of residences. Housing units means such a residential place which has separate building structure and is separate housing unit. These could be one or more than one housing units in a building. Housing unit and house are the same by definition in population and housing census. A housing unit means a building or a part of building which is meant for residence of household. It is separate from other parts inside the building from construction and residential point of view. There could be one or more than one housing units/dwelling units in one building, and at the time of enumeration more than one household can reside in one housing unit.
Households A household may be a person living above and also comprise a few such persons who live and eat together. They may include members of household relatives, friends, servants and other non-relatives. Eating together means having common cooking arrangements at a place. Households consisting of more than one person living together under common cooking arrangements (i.e., they use one burner for cooking). However if a person lives alone, he shall also be considered a household. These persons are generally relatives but these could also be friends, servants of the household and other non relatives residing in them. In such a case if the members of household do not eat at the place where they live, then they will be counted at the place where they live rather than at a place where they take their meals. A household means one or more than one person who lives under one cooking arrangement and other common necessities of life. If one person is living alone, he will also be treated as one household. Generally, the members of household are relatives, but the friends, servants of the household and other non relatives residing with them can also be included in the household.
Group quarters A group of persons living together who have collective arrangement for taking meal, such as boarding house, restaurant/hotel, or other institutional places) . Housing unit which has been constructed for collective residence in connection with semi-government or trading purpose. e.g. hotel , hostel , residential barracks of Armed or semi Armed forces, residential camps, jail, Sanitarium, Mental hospital, Disabled, poor , orphans, paupers and special institutions for residences of other such people. Housing unit which has been constructed or specified as the collective residence of some social, governmental or business purpose, e.g. hotel, hostel, residential, barracks of armed or semi armed forces, residential camps, jails, sanatorium, mental hospital disabled, poor, orphans paupers and institutions etc specified for residence at other such persons.
       

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