Redesign of the French Census of Population

This paper discusses in detail issues dealing with the technical aspects of designing and conducting surveys. It is intended for an audience of survey methodologists.

Conducting a census by traditional methods is becoming more difficult. The possibility of cross-linking administrative files provides an attractive alternative to conducting periodic censuses (Laihonen, 2000; Borchsenius, 2000). This method was proposed in a recent article by Nathan (2001). The Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (INSEE) census redesign is based on the idea of a "continuous census," originally suggested by Kish (1981, 1990) and Horvitz (1986). The first approach, which could be feasible in France, can be found in Deville and Jacod's paper (1996). This particular article reviews the methodological developments and approaches used since INSEE started its population census redesign program.