Census And Sample Survey

by Yuvi K - October 26, 2023

Definition of Census And Sample Survey

Census: A census is a complete enumeration of a population. It is the process of regularly collecting information from everyone in a given population.(जनगणना: जनगणना का मतलब एक जनसंख्या का पूरा निवेश है। यह एक दिये गये जनसंख्या में सभी से नियमित रूप से जानकारी एकत्र करना है।)

Sample Survey: A sample survey is a method of collecting information from a subset of a population.(नमूना सर्वेक्षण: नमूना सर्वेक्षण जनसंख्या के एक अंशतः से जानकारी एकत्र करने का एक विधि है।)

What is Census and Sample Survey?

Census and sample survey are two widely used techniques to collect information from a population. The major difference between the two is that census involves collecting information from the entire population while sample survey involves collecting information from a subset of the population.

Basically, both census and sample survey are used to get information about a population. Census is considered to be a more accurate and reliable method of collecting data as it collects data from the entire population. On the other hand, sample survey is a less accurate and reliable method as it collects data from only a subset of the population.

When is Census Preferred?

Census is preferred when an accurate representation of the whole population is needed. Census involves the collection of data from the entire population, which makes it very accurate and reliable. It is also preferred when the population is relatively small and manageable.

Furthermore, census is preferred when the information needed is very detailed and requires a great amount of time to collect. As census involves the collection of data from the entire population, it takes a great amount of time to complete.

When is Sample Survey Preferred?

Sample survey is preferred when the population is large and unmanageable. As it collects data from only a subset of the population, it is relatively faster and simpler to collect data.

Besides, sample survey is preferred when the information needed is not very detailed. A subset of the population is enough to get a good idea of the general trends and patterns.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Census

Advantages:

Census provides a more accurate representation of the population compared to sample survey.
It is preferred when detailed information is needed about the entire population.
Census provides a comprehensive view of the population characteristics.
Data collected from census can be used for a variety of purposes.

Disadvantages:

Census is very expensive and time-consuming.
Census is difficult to administer as it involves collecting data from entire population.
Census results may be inaccurate due to the difficulty in getting response from the entire population.
Census results may be outdated by the time they are published.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Sample Survey

Advantages:

Sample survey is relatively faster and easier to administer compared to census.
It is preferred when the population is too large to survey.
Sample survey is less expensive compared to census.
It can provide a good estimate of the population characteristics.

Disadvantages:

Sample survey is less accurate than census as it collects data from only a subset of the population.
Data collected from sample survey may be biased if proper sampling technique is not used.
It is difficult to get accurate results from sample survey if the sample size is small.
Results of sample survey may not be generalizable to the entire population.

Conclusion

Census and sample survey are two widely used methods of collecting information from a population. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. Census is preferred when an accurate representation of the population is needed while sample survey is preferred when the population is too large to survey. Therefore, it is important to select the appropriate method depending on the requirements.