A device to keep track of persons and events Updated on a daily basis or on “as occurred” basis

2. What is a register? • A device to keep track of persons and events • Updated on a daily basis or on “as occurred” basis • Non-computerized registers • In place in countries such as China and Thailand - in each case the register consists of household cards • Computerized registers • Around 30 years ago in a number of countries 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

3. When and why were registers introduced? • Started to be introduced as early as in the18th century • Original reason for introducing registers: • Tracking population for • Taxation • Military service • Other administrative purposes 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

4. Population registers today • Definition of contemporary population registers • Mechanism for • Continuous recording • Selected information on residents • Computerized 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

5. Population registers today • Main uses • Administrative: taxation, planning, issuing unique personal identification cards, establishing eligibility of individuals for voting, education, health, military service, social security, police and judicial purposes and so forth • Statistical: population estimates, census planning/conducting, social statistics, migration and so forth 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

6. Population registers and civil registration • Not mutually exclusive, on the contrary • Civil registration – a backbone of population registers – provides updates: births, deaths and other vital events • In some cases, statistical office is a home for all three: population register, civil registration and vital statistics – Norway, Bulgaria, FYR of Macedonia 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

7. Population registers and other registers • Register of enterprises, business register, student register, register of unemployed, building register – two situations • Unique identifier present – full and direct linkage possible – register based census • Unique identifier not present – full and direct linkage completely impossible or possible only with developing complex procedures 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

8. Registers-based censuses • Built on the set of basic registers and their linkage • Population register • Register of buildings and dwellings • Business registers • Coverage • All residents of a country • All buildings and dwellings • All businesses 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

9. Buildings (G-coded) Uniform and unique code systems Physical structures DIN BIN Dwellings Business premises HIN HIN DIN BIN Households Families Persons FIN FIN PIN PIN PIN Persons HIN FIN Enter prises Establishments Legal entities PIN PIN Registers-based censuses

10. Personal identification number • Assigned to each person at birth • Retired after person passes away • Assigned to each resident during campaign 1212942 1 131856 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

11. Population registers - prerequisites • Legal Basis • Public trust • Unique and uniform coding systems • Comprehensive and functioning system of registers 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

12. Population registers - prerequisites • Legal basis • Legislation is key • Rules for using administrative data for statistical purposes • Privacy and confidentiality 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

13. Population registers - prerequisites • Public trust • Discussion and debate • Safeguards • Advocacy • Benefits to the society • Better services 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

14. Population registers - prerequisites • Unique and uniform coding schemes • Includes harmonization of all classifications • Inter-agency y coordination • Geographical Information Systems 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

15. Building/ dwellings Taxation Job seekers Pension Student Business Education Population Linkages Censusdata files A system of registers 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

16. Population registers - advantages • Lower costs • Processing on annual basis • Unified data processing • No non-response problems • Broader scope coverage • Reduced burden of reply 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007

17. Population registers - disadvantages • Limited by the scope of registers • Depending on administrative sources • Requires fully functional and universal civil service • Consistency problems – data coming from different registers • Events that cannot be measured 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses Workshop on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the UNESCWA Region Cairo, Egypt, 3 - 6 December 2007