Interviewer instructions
Characteristics of the dwelling
The series of questions found on page two of the questionnaire will permit you to find out the principal characteristics of the dwellings: the materials that they are made out of, the number of rooms that the dwelling consists of and the use the rooms are given, the available services, ownership of the dwelling and the cooking fuel that they use.
12. Number of persons in the dwelling
The central objective of the census is to count all of the persons who normally live in the country at the moment of the census, and obtain information about their principal characteristics.
Occupants of the dwelling are the persons who normally live in the dwelling.
Be aware that to total occupants is referring to a specific point in time. This time is called the census moment. For the 1990 census, the census moment is zero hours of Monday, March 12.
[Illustration text]
-If the baby is born before the zero hour on March 12, the baby will be counted in the census. If the baby is born after midnight, the baby will not be counted.
-If the person died after the zero hour on March 12, he/she will be included in the census. If he/she died before the zero hour, he/she will not be counted.
[End of illustration]
Read the question word-for-word:
[Illustration text]
-How many persons normally live in this dwelling, including the small children and the elderly?
-There are six of us.
[End of illustration]
Be sure that the informant does not forget to count small children and elderly persons.
It is very important that all of the persons who live in the dwelling be counted. For this reason, you should remember when you do the interview that the informant is the one who knows how many persons normally live in the dwelling. Only if the informant has doubts, you can help him/her by considering that:
These are occupants of the dwelling
1. Persons who are nationals or foreigners who normally live in the dwelling.
2. Persons who are temporarily absent from the dwelling for reasons of work, health, vacations, etc., but normally live in the dwelling.
3. The household servants and their family members who normally sleep in the dwelling.
4. Newborns, children of the women who live in the dwelling, who were born before zero hours on March 12, 1990.
5. Persons who died after the zero hour of March 12, 1990.
6. Persons who are present in the dwelling and do not have another fixed residence.
These are not occupants of the dwelling:
1. The persons who are visiting the dwelling and have a fixed place of residency elsewhere.
2. Persons who left to live in another permanent residence, for reasons of studies, work, or other reasons.
3. The domestic servants who sleep elsewhere.
4. The newborns, children of women who live in the dwelling, who were born after zero hours of March 12, 1990.
5. Persons who died before the zero hour of March 12, 1990.
6. Foreign diplomats and their families.
Be aware that in the interviews that you do after March 12, occupants are considered the persons who normally lived in the dwelling until zero hours of Monday, March 12, 1990.