Coverage and content errors in the 1980 U.S. Decennial Census

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Bounpane, Peter A.¹

Note: [1] Peter A. Bounpane joined the Census Bureau staff in 1965 following his graduation from Georgetown University of Washington, D.C. His early years at the Census Bureau were in the Statistical Methods Division where he designed the sample for the surveys related to the Consumer Price Index and redesigned the Current Population Survey to prepare state estimates. He served as Senior Demographic Advisor and then as Chief of the Decennial Planning Division. Currently he holds the position of Assistant Director for Demographic Censuses. Mr. Bounpane has also taught Introductory Statistics at Georgetown University.

Abstract: The U.S. Census Bureau has two main programs for estimating the coverage of the population in the 1980 census. Preliminary estimates from these programs show improvement in coverage over the 1970 census, particularly for the Black population. Even so, the preliminary estimates show that the coverage of Blacks and Hispanics is still poorer than the coverage of Whites. The Census Bureau will continue to examine the use of different undercount measurement and adjustment techniques to determine whether it can develop a valid procedure for adjustment of the census counts. It also conducts reinterview, matching, and record-check studies of the quality of the data it collects. Most of these studies are in their preliminary stages and final results have not been released yet. While no major data quality problems are apparent, there are some inconsistencies in the data and the Bureau will examine these further as it plans for the 1990 census.

DOI: 10.3233/SJU-1985-3206

Journal: Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 211-228, 1985