First impressions from the 2000 census of China

THE 2000 CENSUS of China is most obviously notable for its grand scale. Requiring 10,000 tons of paper for questionnaires, 5 million enumerators, and a million supervisors, it was at the very least an impressive logistical feat. But this census is notable, too, for its design and expanded content, reflecting China's increasing complexity and the rising demand for social data to inform policy. And it is notable for the unprecedented challenges it encountered in the field, conducted as it was under an administrative regime that is, in several respects, inimical to accurate census reporting. The preliminary results mirror China's continued social progress and apparent success in the drive to curtail population growth. This report briefly describes the 2000 census, sketches the highlights of preliminary tabulations, and discusses issues related to data quality.