What questions were asked in Mexico’s 2010 population census?

In mid-2010, Mexico held a general census of its population and households. The majority of census respondents were required to complete a “basic questionnaire” of 29 questions, with a smaller number (2.7 million) asked to complete a “full questionnaire” with 75 questions.

The questions asked in the basic questionnaire (with a summary of the options for each response)  included:

Characteristics of the dwelling:

• What are the floors made of? (earth/cement or concrete/wood, tiles or other)
• How many rooms are used for sleeping (excluding passages)?
• How many rooms are there in total, including the kitchen, but excluding passages or bathrooms?
• Does the dwelling have electricity?
• What is the water supply? (piped municipal supply/stand pipe/water piped from another dwelling/periodic water trucked in/river, well or lake)
• Is the dwelling connected to a sewage system or septic tank?
• Does the toilet have running water/water from buckets/no water?
• Which of the following do the occupants of the dwelling own? – radio/television/refrigerator/washing machine/vehicle/computer/fixed line telephone/cell phone/internet.

Characteristics of each person in the household:

• Sex, age, relation to head of household
• Place of birth (state, if born in Mexico, or country, if born elsewhere)
• Which medical services if any, do the occupants have access to? (IMSS, ISSSTE, Pemex or Armed Services, private provider, other, none)
• Religion
• Limitations in daily life? (walking, moving/vision, even when wearing glasses or contacts/speaking/hearing even when wearing a hearing aid/dressing, bathing, eating/learning simple new tasks/any form of mental difficulty/none)
• Name of any dialect or indigenous language (ie other than Spanish) spoken

Education:

• Are you currently enrolled in school, college or university?
• Level of education already completed
• Can you read and write a simple message?
• Where did you reside 5 years ago? (state in Mexico, or country if outside Mexico)
• Civil status (single/married/separated/divorced/widowed)

Employment

• Last week, did you work at least one hour/have a job, but not work/look for work
• Are you retired/student/homemaker/unable to work through physical or mental incapacity

Children

• How many liveborn children have you had?
• How many of these children have since died?

The first results from the 2010 census should be available from early next year. As results are published, Geo-Mexico will be updating facts and figures to highlight any important changes in Mexico’s geography.