The 2000 Census of China is most obviously notable for its grand scale.
Requiring 10,000 tons of paper for questionnaires, five 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. It is notable as well
for the unprecedented challenges it encountered in the field, conducted as it was under an
administrative regime that is, in important 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.