demographics Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings. Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as ed ...

, an intercensal estimate is an estimate of population between official

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

dates with both of the census counts being known. Some nations produce regular intercensal estimates while others do not. Intercensal estimates can be less or more informative than official census figures, depending on

methodology In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for br ...

, completeness, accuracy (as they can have significant undercounts or overestimates) and date of data, and can be released by

nations A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by t ...

subnational entities Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...

, or other organizations including those not affiliated with governments. They differ from

population projection Population projection, in the field of demography, is an estimate of a future population. In contrast with intercensal estimates and censuses, which usually involve some sort of field data gathering, projections usually involve mathematical mod ...

s as they are from past dates, although intercensal estimates can be used to form population projections.

Postcensal estimate

Intercensal estimates are one of the two types of population estimates, the other being ''postcensal estimates''. Intercensal estimates are considered to be more accurate than postcensal estimates, because they approximated between two dates with the ''exact'' figure (accounting for errors) being known and being considered factual. Additionally, postcensal estimates can be based on the prior census. (e.g. a 2011 postcensal estimate can be based on a 2001 census, due to time and complexity of producing estimates from 2011 census data.).

Intercensal survey

All counts are estimates, including censuses (in reality every survey has a

margin of error The margin of error is a statistic expressing the amount of random sampling error in the results of a survey. The larger the margin of error, the less confidence one should have that a poll result would reflect the result of a census of the e ...

, even most census counts are corrected for data omission, duplication, cheating, miscounts) but some counts include random sampling (door to door and/or by calling) of actual residents rather than just producing figures based on mathematical models. These counts are called intercensal surveys. American Community Survey is one of these in the US, where a percentage of residents are called and asked to participate in a census-like questionnaire. The topics covered may differ from the census forms, even if population figures are produced for both.

By country

* Statistics Indonesia (BPS) releases province by province annual estimates for all provinces, regencies, and kota in Indonesia, with some provinces more up to date than others. A survey in conducted every 10 years, 5 years post census. * China 1% Survey (全国1％人口抽样调查) 5 years after each census samples 1% of the population to produce population estimates between official 10 year censuses. * The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) releases regular annual estimates for all states and cities in Brazil. * Statistics Canada releases regular quarter annual intercensal estimates for provinces and territories in Canada. * Japan releases regular annual intercensal estimates for all prefectures and cities, every October. National estimates are released monthly. * The

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

releases regular intercensal estimates of total population of the country, states, and metropolitan areas annually. Unincorporated areas are counted only during censuses. California compiles annual estimates separately from the Census Bureau, which includes unincorporated areas and differing methodology. * Mexico technically calls it an intercensal survey but is essentially a mini-census between decade censuses, effectively having a 5-year census period.

References

Demographics Censuses {{census-stub