Explanation:
Population register (paras. 454,468)
The term “population register” was defined in 1969, in the publication entitled Methodology and Evaluation of Population Registers and Similar Systems (United Nations, 1969), as “an individualized data system, that is, a mechanism of continuous recording, and/or of coordinated linkage, of selected information pertaining to each member of the resident population of a country in such a way to provide the possibility of determining up-to-date information concerning the size and characteristics of that population at selected time intervals” (chap. I.A). Thus, the population register is the product of a continuous process, in which notifications of certain events, which may have been recorded originally in different administrative systems, are automatically linked to it on a current basis. The method and sources of updating should cover all changes so that the characteristics of individuals in the register remain current. Because of the nature of a population register, its organization, as well as its operation, should have a legal basis.
Basic characteristics that may be included in a population register are date and place of birth, sex, date and place of death, date of arrival/departure, citizenship(s) and marital status. Depending on the possibility of proper linking with other registers, much additional information may be added to the single record, such as language(s), ethnicity, educational attainment, parity, activity status and occupation. In order to be useful, any additional information must be kept up to date. If complete, population registers can produce data on both internal and international migration through the recording of changes of residence as well as the recording of international arrivals and departures.
2. Main uses of the population register (paras. 455,482)
It has to be stressed that the primary function of the population register is to provide reliable information for the administrative purposes of government, particularly for programme planning, budgeting and taxation. The registers are also useful in other administrative areas, such as establishing personal identification, voting, education and military service, social insurance and welfare, and for police and court reference. Register information is also utilized for issuing documents needed for the admission of children to nurseries, kindergartens and schools and the assignment of residents to health clinics (United Nations, 1991, para. 476).
The use of the population register for vital statistical purposes entails linking events to the pertinent population at risk. The timeliness of the updating of the population register and the accuracy of the information recorded therein are thus factors critical to the quality of the statistics to be computed. The continuous and intensive administrative use of registers is an important means of ensuring their quality, since the everyday use of those registers in the society can facilitate the detection of errors. If the statistical and administrative functions of the population register are separated, an efficient system must be put in place to ensure perfect synchronization. Further, excellent coordination with the national and/or local authorities owning the vital events registers and a reliable technical infrastructure, based on computerization, are then required. In cases, where concerns about intrusion into the private lives of persons and about confidentiality risks may be spreading among the public, action should be undertaken to demonstrate the advantages of the system. Only widespread acceptance by the population can transform the population register into a reliable statistical source.
3. Requirements of population register (paras. 458,460)
At the minimum, a population register includes a list of individuals with whom the local and/or national administration(s) of the country need to communicate. Although the national population register may very well be a virtual entity based on the linkage of population registers established at the local level (decentralized system), the overall geographical coverage must be of the entire territory of the country. If this condition is not met, the national population register will not be an appropriate system for the production of statistical data for the country.
