Methods used in traditional censuses have advanced considerably in recent cycles and some now make considerable use of data from administrative sources, although primarily in an indirect way. Countries such as Canada and the U.S.A. now mail out the majority of their census questionnaires using high quality address registers whose maintenance is based heavily upon administrative data. The closely related census coverage studies and population estimation programs benefit from several administrative sources including vital, tax, immigration and other records. In Canada's 2006 Census, income tax data were use directly in the Census long form for those respondents who agreed to its use for this purpose. In the 2011 National Household Survey, which replaces the long form, this will again be done. The tax data will also be use in estimation procedures designed to minimize the impact of non-response bias. Focusing mainly on Canada as an example this paper will outline these uses and discuss related issues of access, data quality and its measurement as well as the potential for extended use of administrative records in the future evolution of traditional censuses.

Keywords: Address register; Tax data; Data quality

Biography: Our next speaker is David Dolson from Statistics Canada. Over the last dozen years he has had overall responsibility for statistical and survey methods used in the Census of Population and its coverage studies.