Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT), Via Cesare Balbo 16, 00184 Rome.
1951, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001. The present description relates to the 2001 population census (held on 21 October).
a) Geographical scope: Whole country.
b) Persons covered: All persons of all ages except Italians resident abroad, foreigners holding a diplomatic passport and NATO military personnel.
The week preceding the census day.
(a) Total population, by sex and age: yes
(b) Economically active population, by sex and age group: yes
(c) Employed persons by sector of industry (28 categories) and sex: yes
(employed persons are also classified by industry but only a sample will be coded)
(d) Employed persons by work activity (10 categories) and sex: yes
(employed persons are also classified by occupation but only a sample will be coded)
(e) Employed persons by status in employment and sex: yes
(f) Economically active population by educational attainment: yes
(g) Hours of work: yes
(h) Other characteristics: yes
Ref. (a): The age is defined in terms of years at last birthday.
Ref. (g): Hours of work relate to actual hours worked during the reference week.
Ref. (h): The census also collected information on professional and non-professional status, place of work, means of transport used and time taken to reach usual place of work.
a) Economically active population: It comprises all persons aged 15 years and over who, during the reference week, were in one of the following situations: (i) employed; (ii) looking for their first job; (iii) unemployed and looking for a new job. The definition includes regular members of the armed forces but excludes persons on national military service or substitute civil service; the latter category can be identified separately.
b) Employment: considered as employed are all persons who, during the reference week, worked either on their own account or for someone else in exchange for wage or salary in cash or in kind (including fees, profits, reimbursement of expenses, payment of board and lodging, etc.).
It is reported that the following categories are included:
i) persons doing unpaid work in family firm or business;
ii) employed persons, temporarily absent from work;
iii) seasonal or occasional workers;
iv) paid apprentices and trainees.
Excluded from the definition are persons attending university doctorate courses, doctors attending specialisation courses, winners of scholarships, persons involved in unpaid volunteer activities, persons on national military or civil service, including those who maintain the right to their work place or are looking for employment, regardless of previous or future work status.
c) Unemployment: Considered as unemployed are all persons who, having lost his/her previous job, were seeking employment during the reference week and were ready and willing to accept it if offered. First-time job-seekers are excluded from the definition; this category can be identified separately.
Only employed persons are classified by industry, by occupation and by status in employment.
a) Industry: In order to determine this variable respondents were first requested to indicate the sector to which pertain the exclusive or main activities of the plant, office, organization, farm, shop, professional office, etc. where they worked or which they owned from a pre-coded choice of 28 industry sectors. They were then asked to describe the sector to which pertain these activities in detail (e.g. auto repairs, cereal farming, cattle breeding). A sample of data will be coded according to the national industrial classification; links to NACE rev.1 and ISIC-rev.3 have been established.
b) Occupation: In order to determine this variable respondents were first requested to indicate their work activity from a pre-coded choice of ten activities (with examples of professions where such activities are carried out) and then to describe their occupation in detail (e.g. paediatrician, lawyer, farmer, barber, sales clerk, etc.). The pre-coded question on work activity approximates the first digit level of ISCO-88 COM. A sample of data related to the free text question will be coded according to the Italian National Classification of Occupations (CP2001). Links to ISCO-88 and ISCO-88 COM have been established at the third digit level.
c) Status in employment: To determine their status in employment respondents were asked to indicate whether they worked as: 1) Employee or other subordinate position; 2) Entrepreneur; 3) Professional; 4) Own-account worker; 5) Member of producers and/or services cooperative; 6) Contributing family worker.
d) Level of education: To determine this variable respondents were asked to indicate the highest educational level which they had obtained from among the following: 1) No educational certificate, cannot read or write; 2) No educational certificate, but can read and write; 3) Primary school certificate; 4) Lower secondary school certificate; 5) Secondary school diploma in classical studies; 6) Secondary school diploma in scientific studies; 7) Secondary school diploma in linguistic studies; 8) Secondary school diploma in artistic studies (4-5 years course); 9) Professional Institute; 10) Teachers Schools; 11) Institute of Arts; 12) Technical Institute (5 year course); 13) Teachers Institute (4-5 year course); 14) Post graduate non-university diploma; 15) University degree – first level (Bachelors); 16) University degree – second level (Masters). Groups 9 to 11 also require an indication of the length of the programme followed (2-3 years or 4-5 years) and groups 9 to 16 specification of the type of diploma or degree obtained. A number of other precoded questions pertaining to education were asked. The Italian National Classification of Education (more then 900 categories) was used to code the free text questions. Links to ISCED-97 have been established.
In 2001 (as in 1981), only one free text question was used to determine occupation whereas in the 1991 census two such questions were used.
The “First Results” and data related to the de jure population have already been disseminated. Data relative to the demographic and household structure of the resident population are already available on ISTAT’s website (www.istat.it). Data related to all the other variables enumerated in the 2001 General Population Census will be available on the same website by the end of 2004. Traditional national, regional and provincial volumes will also be published as well as some volumes concerning large municipalities; the global title of the publications will be “Popolazione e abitazioni”. In addition, census data will be available in the form of CD.
The organization responsible for the dissemination of the census results is the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT), Via Cesare Balbo 16, 00184 Rome.