thumb|A census taker visits a family of Indigenous Dutch Travellers living in a caravan in the Netherlands in 1925. A census (from Latin censere, 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given population, usually displayed in the form of statistics. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses include censuses of agriculture, traditional culture, business, supplies, and traffic censuses. The United Nations (UN) defines the essential features of population and housing censuses as "individual enumeration, universality within a defined territory, simultaneity and defined periodicity", and recommends that population censuses be taken at least every ten years. UN recommendations also cover census topics to be collected, official definitions, classifications, and other useful information to coordinate international practices.United Nations (2008). Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses . Statistical Papers: Series M No. 67/Rev. 2. p. 8. .
thumb|A census taker visits a family of Indigenous Dutch Travellers living in a caravan in the Netherlands in 1925 A census (from Latin censere 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring recording and calculating population information about the members of a given population usually displayed in the form of statistics This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses include censuses of agriculture traditional culture business supplies and traffic censuses The United Nations (UN) defines the essential features of population and housing censuses as "individual enumeration universality within a defined territory simultaneity and defined periodicity" and recommends that population censuses be taken at least every ten years UN recommendations also cover census topics to be collected official definitions classifications and other useful information to coordinate international practicesUnited Nations (2008) Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses  Statistical Papers Series M No 67/Rev 2 p 8 