2016 census

[KNormoyle]

Anyone else find it strange that the census forms didn't request any information about birth place, race, or religion?

Thinking about my future generations, it seemed like an incomplete questionnaire.

~Keith

[susano]

Hi Keith

Yes, I thought it was a little odd.

I wonder if the long form included those questions.  I got the short form.

Susan

[jaybelnz]

I'm not from Canada, but that does seem a bit unusual. 

We fill in our own census forms here in NZ, and they can also be done online, but for my own FH files I always print off a copy for my files, as our census are stated to be destroyed after demographic stats etc have been analysed!  I haven't been able to get any NZ census for my ancestors of course, and none of my descendants are going to find out about me from census info!  Unless pressure from local Genealogy and Family History societies finally changes that one day.

Thank goodness for electoral rolls!  Although they don't show ages, we can at least get addresses at the time if the election, and know that they would have been at least 21, (up until the last Election when the voting age was reduced to 18).

You might like to type up and your extra details and attach them to a copy of your completed census forms, keeping that one for yourself!

[Wiggy]

Anyone else find it strange that the census forms didn't request any information about birth place, race, or religion?

Thinking about my future generations, it seemed like an incomplete questionnaire.

~Keith

Maybe they think there is so much known about everyone these days that more would be superfluous.   

It would be nice to have all that info in one place though wouldn't it!   

[RunKitty]

Hi,

I got the short form too... so I don't know what questions were asked on the long form.   

I also wondered why they weren't interested in place of birth or occupation this time around.  Perhaps because this is an interim census... just to get basic numbers.  I expect the 2021 census will ask for more information.   We shall see .

RK

[Jacquie in Canada]

I did get a long form census but I can't remember for certain if those questions were asked although I think they were.

We fill in our own census forms here in NZ, and they can also be done online, but for my own FH files I always print off a copy for my files, as our census are stated to be destroyed after demographic stats etc have been analysed!  I haven't been able to get any NZ census for my ancestors of course, and none of my descendants are going to find out about me from census info!  Unless pressure from local Genealogy and Family History societies finally changes that one day.

On the Canadian census (which is done online unless you request a paper copy) there is a box that can be ticked to share the information when the privacy laws are no longer in effect (about 90 years iirc) so they aren't destroyed.

Jacquie

[sami]

Anyone else find it strange that the census forms didn't request any information about birth place, race, or religion?

Thinking about my future generations, it seemed like an incomplete questionnaire.

~Keith

I did the long form census and I can't quite remember now but I don't think there was anything about religion. It didn't exactly ask about race but I think I had to put the ethnicity of my parents (English, Italian etc.). I don't remember if it asked where I was born - but you would think it must have.

What I found so interesting though, was the question that defined me as a spouse. So was I same sex, opposite sex, transvestite, legally married, common law etc. I thought those responses may well prove interesting 100 years down the road.

sami