The population census is an important event in the life of a country, which allows not only to take into account the size of its population, but also to obtain information on its socio-demographic characteristics. Moreover, the frequency of its implementation is established by law.
Despite the fact that one of the key sources of information on the socio-demographic characteristics of the population of Russia is the civil registration system maintained by the registry office, it is the census that provides the most accurate information.
The objectives of the population census and its legal framework
The importance of conducting a population census in a country is due to the nature of the information it provides about citizens, as well as its universal coverage. So, in addition to taking into account the population size, the census collects information about citizens, which makes it possible to assess the distribution of the population over the territory of the country, its national and linguistic composition, educational level and other important characteristics. These tasks, as well as the procedure for organizing and conducting the population census, are fixed in the main document regulating the conduct of the census in the Russian Federation - Federal Law No. 8-FZ of January 25, 2002 "On the All-Russian Population Census".
At the same time, during each event, a large number of basic and additional regulatory legal acts are issued that establish the requirements for its implementation. Thus, the main provisions concerning the last census of 2010 were recorded in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1074 "On the organization of the All-Russian population census of 2010".
Census frequency
The same regulatory legal act also establishes the frequency of the population census in the Russian Federation. Thus, Article 3 of the Law "On the All-Russian Population Census" determines that this event should be held at least once every 10 years. At the same time, however, the date of formation of the Russian Federation is officially considered December 25, 1991, when the RSFSR Law of December 25, No. 2094-I "On changing the name of the state Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic" was adopted, according to which our state received a new name. At the same time, the first population census in the country was carried out in October 2002.
In the future, however, the timing of its implementation was brought in line with the current legislation. So, the next census took place in October 2010, that is, ahead of schedule - 8 years after the previous event. It is assumed that the next census will be held in the Russian Federation in strict accordance with the law - in 2020. At the same time, it is planned to conduct a microcensus in 2015, with less than 1% of households participating.
