| Census Characteristics | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
| Title | General Population Census of 1962 | General Population Census of 1968 | General Population Census of 1975 | General Population Census of 1982 | General Population Census of 1990 | General Population Census of 1999 | 2006-Census (cycle 2004-2008) |
| Census Agency | Institut National de la Statisque et des Etudes Economiques | Institut National de la Statisque et des Etudes Economiques | Institut National de la Statisque et des Etudes Economiques | Institut National de la Statisque et des Etudes Economiques | Institut National de la Statisque et des Etudes Economiques | INSEE (Institut National de la Statisque et des Etudes Economiques) | INSEE (Institut National de la Statisque et des Etudes Economiques) |
| Population | Residents in France, of any nationality. Does not include French citizens living in other countries, foreign tourists, or people passing through. | Residents in France, of any nationality. Does not include French citizens living in other countries, foreign tourists, or people passing through. | Residents in France, of any nationality. Does not include French citizens living in other countries, foreign tourists, or people passing through. | Residents in France, of any nationality. Does not include French citizens living in other countries, foreign tourists, or people passing through. | Residents in France, of any nationality. Does not include French citizens living in other countries, foreign tourists, or people passing through. | Residents of France, of any nationality. Does not include French citizens living in other countries, foreign tourists, or people passing through. | Residents of France, of any nationality. Does not include French citizens living in other countries, foreign tourists, or people passing through. |
| Universe | The microdata sample includes mainland France and Corsica. | The microdata sample includes mainland France and Corsica. | The microdata sample includes mainland France and Corsica. | The microdata sample includes mainland France. | The microdata sample includes mainland France and Corsica. | The microdata sample includes mainland France and Corsica. | The microdata sample includes mainland France, Corsica and the overseas departments. |
| De jure or de facto | De jure | De jure | De jure | De jure | De jure | De jure | De jure |
| Enumeration unit | Depends on target population (see enumeration forms, below) | Dwelling | Dwelling | Dwelling | Dwelling | Dwelling | Dwelling |
| Census day | 7 March 1962 | 1 March 1968 | 20 Febrary 1975 | 4 March 1982 | 5 March 1990; 15 March for overseas departments | March 8, 1999 | January 19 to February 25, annually 2004-2008 |
| Field work period | 7-30 March 1962 | 1-23 March 1968 | 20 February-21 March 1975 | 4 March-3 April 1982 | March-April 1990 | March and April | January-February each year 2004-2008 |
| Enumeration forms used | Separate forms for buildings, group quarters (collective households), group quarters (compte a part), private households, and boats. Four forms for individuals (living in group quarters and private dwellings; two different forms for people compte a part; | Separate forms for buildings, group quarters (collective households), group quarters (compte a part), private households, and boats. Four forms for individuals (living in group quarters and private dwellings; two different forms for people compte a part; | Separate forms for buildings, group quarters (collective households), group quarters (compte a part), private households, and boats. Four forms for individuals (living in group quarters and private dwellings; two different forms for people compte a part; | Separate forms for buildings, group quarters (collective households), group quarters (compte a part), private households, and boats. Four forms for individuals (living in group quarters and private dwellings; two different forms for people compte a part; | Separate forms for buildings, group quarters (collective households), group quarters (compte a part), private households, and boats. Four forms for individuals (living in group quarters and private dwellings; two different forms for people compte a part; | Form 1A for dwelling consists of (1) dwelling characteristics, (2) List A. permanent occupants of the dwelling, (3) List B. household members who do not live in the dwelling of enumeration, and (4) building characteristics; Form 2B. Individual form. | Form "feuille de logement" for dwelling consists of (1) dwelling characteristics, (2) List A. permanent occupants of the dwelling, (3) Lists B and C household members who do not live in the dwelling of enumeration, and (4) building characteristics; Form "bulletin individuel": Individual form. |
| Type of field work | Direct and self-enumeration | Direct and self-enumeration | Direct and self-enumeration | Direct and self-enumeration | Direct and self-enumeration | Direct and self-enumeration | Direct and self-enumeration |
| Respondent | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Coverage | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Microdata sample characteristics | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
| Sample microdata source | INSEE 1/20 original sample, selected variables | INSEE 1/20 original sample, selected variables | INSEE 1/20 original sample, selected variables | INSEE 1/20 original sample, selected variables | INSEE 1/24 sample | INSEE | INSEE |
| Sample design | Systematic manual sorting into lots with different sample units, according to target population. | Systematic manual sorting into lots with different sample units according to target population. Lots divide the population into different samples (1/20,1/5,3/4). | Systematic manual sorting into lots with different sample units according to target population. Lots divide the population into different samples (1/5 and 4/5). 1/20 sample is selected from 1/5 sample. | Systematic manual sorting into lots with different sample units according to target population. Lots divide the population into different samples (1/4 and 3/4). 1/20 sample is selected from 1/4 sample. | 1/20 sample: 1/5 sample selected from 1/4 sample. All individuals in private households from 1/4 sample from a district selected with probability 1/5. Other populations: systematic selection of individuals with probability 1/5. | 1/20 sample:
A 1/5 systematic sample selected from 1/4 sample.
1/4 sample: a systematic sample of every 4th dwelling (or individual from institutional households). Dwellings, either for households/quasi-households or vacant dwellings, are sorted by locality and household size (if for households/quasi-households), before sampling. Individuals from communities/quasi-communities are sorted by locality, type of community and date of birth before sampling. All individuals within households constitute the 1/4 sample. | "Rolling Census." Enumerated each year: one fifth of communes under 10,000 population (taken in their entirety); 8% of housing units sampled from communes of 10,000 or more population.
Microdata are a 40% sample of persons in communes over 10,000 and a 25% sample for smaller communes. Weights are designed to describe the population in the median year of the dataset (2006). |
| Sample unit | Private dwellings and individuals for group quarters and compte a part | Private dwellings and individuals for group quarters and compte a part | Private dwellings and individuals for group quarters and compte a part | Private dwellings and individuals for group quarters and compte a part | Private dwellings and individuals for group quarters and compte a part | Private dwellings and individuals for group quarters and compte a part | Private dwellings and individuals for group quarters and compte a part |
| Sample fraction | 5 % | 5 % | 5 % | 5 % | 4,20 % | 5% | Approximately 33% |
| Sample fraction (private households) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sample fraction (institutional households) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sample size (person records) | 2.320.901 | 2.487.778 | 2.629.456 | 2.631.713 | 2.360.854 | 2,934,758 | 19,973,287 |
| Sample size (private households) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sample size (institutional households) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sample weights | Self-weighting (expansion factor=20) | Self-weighting (expansion factor=20) | Self-weighting (expansion factor=20) | Self-weighting (expansion factor=20) | Self-weighting (expansion factor=24) | Self-weighting
Expansion factor = 20 | This is a weighted sample. Weights designed by INSEE, and should be used to yield accurate populatio |
| Units identified | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
| Dwellings | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Vacant units | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Households | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Individuals | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Group quarters | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Settled/unsettled Population | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Special populations | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Unit definitions | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 |
| Dwellings | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Households | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Institutional population | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Group quarters | A collective household is a group of persons that does not live in an ordinary household, but lives in a collective establishment, sharing meal times. | A collective household is a group of persons that does not live in an ordinary household, but lives in a collective establishment, sharing meal times. | A collective household is a group of persons that does not live in an ordinary household, but lives in a collective establishment, sharing meal times. | A collective household is a group of persons that does not live in an ordinary household, but lives in a collective establishment, sharing meal times. | A collective household is a group of persons that does not live in an ordinary household, but lives in a collective establishment, sharing meal times. | A collective household is a group of persons that does not live in an ordinary household, but lives in a collective establishment, sharing meal times. | A collective household is a group of persons that does not live in an ordinary household, but lives in a collective establishment, sharing meal times. |
| Unsettled population | Persons living in group quarters or without a fixed address but having a usual home elsewhere (i.e., enumerated away from their usual residence). During data processing, most of these people are reintegrated into their usual households, except in the case of persons in psychiatric hospitals and prisons. | Persons living in group quarters or without a fixed address but having a usual home elsewhere (i.e., enumerated away from their usual residence). During data processing, most of these people are reintegrated into their usual households, except in the case of persons in psychiatric hospitals and prisons. | Persons living in group quarters or without a fixed address but having a usual home elsewhere (i.e., enumerated away from their usual residence). During data processing, most of these people are reintegrated into their usual households, except in the case of persons in psychiatric hospitals and prisons. | Persons living in group quarters or without a fixed address but having a usual home elsewhere (i.e., enumerated away from their usual residence). During data processing, most of these people are reintegrated into their usual households, except in the case of persons in psychiatric hospitals and prisons. | Persons living in group quarters or without a fixed address but having a usual home elsewhere (i.e., enumerated away from their usual residence). During data processing, most of these people are reintegrated into their usual households, except in the case of persons in psychiatric hospitals and prisons. | Persons living in group quarters or without a fixed address but having a usual home elsewhere (i.e., enumerated away from their usual residence). During data processing, most of these people are reintegrated into their usual households. | Persons living in group quarters or without a fixed address but having a usual home elsewhere (i.e., enumerated away from their usual residence). During data processing, most of these people are reintegrated into their usual households. |
in collaboration with Minnesota Population Center 
