Sources and Methods: Labour Statistics
Volume 5: Population Censuses

Russian Federation

1. Name and address of the organization responsible for the census:

State Committee of the Russian Federation on Statistics (Goskomstat of Russia), 39 Myasnitskaya St., 103450 Moscow.

2. Population censuses conducted since 1945 (years):

1959, 1970, 1979 and 1989. The present description relates to the 1989 population census. The next population census is planned for 2001.

3. Coverage of the census:

(a) Geographical scope

Whole country.

(b) Persons covered

All persons of all ages.

4. Reference period:

The time of the census (as at midnight on 11 January, 1989).

5. Main topics:

(a) Total population, by sex and age: yes

Economically active population: During the 1989 population census, economically active population was not studied. In the following text the answers are provided for population employed only. by:

(b) Sex and age group: yes

(c) Industry: yes

(d) Occupation: yes

(e) Status in employment: no

(f) Educational level: yes

(g) Hours of work: no

(h) Other characteristics: yes

Re. (a): The age was defined in terms of day, month and year of birth.

Re. (h): Employed population by source of subsistence, social group and nationality.

6. Concepts and definitions:

(a) Economically active population

The term economically active population was not used in the population census. The questionnaire collected the information on the population engaged both in the National Economy and individual subsidiary farming.

(b) Employment

According to the population census concept, the following persons were considered to be engaged in the National Economy as at the date of the census: those employed in enterprises, constructions, establishments and organizations, state and collective farms, co-operatives, those hired by individual persons and persons engaged in individual working activities. Also considered as employed were: students attending qualification improvement and re-training courses; women on child-care leave until their child is 12 or 18 months old; as well as persons who did not work for three weeks or less for reason of change of their place of work.

It is reported that the following categories were included:

  1. employed persons, temporarily absent from work;
  2. students having permanent work;
  3. seasonal workers not at work during the off-season;
  4. regular members of the armed forces;
  5. compulsory servicemen who worked before their calling-up for service;
  6. apprentices and trainees;
  7. persons temporarily laid-off (with formal job attachment).
None of these categories were identified separately.

During the census those engaged in individual subsidiary farming were not included in the number of the population employed.

(c) Unemployment

This category was not studied.

7. Classifications used:

Only employed population was classified by industry, by occupation, by educational level and by social group.

(a) Industry

All industries of the National Economy were broken down by two groups:

(1) Sphere of material production: industrial production, agriculture and forestry, transport and communication, construction, trade and public catering, material and technological supply and sales, purchases, information and computing services, and other branches of the material production;

(2) Sphere of non-material production: housing and municipal management, non-productive type of public services for population, public health care, physical culture and social security, national education, culture and art, sciences and related services, credit and state insurance, administration and management, party and social organizations.

For Industry coding 68 groups of the National classification were used. No links to ISIC were established.

(b) Occupation

Employed population was classified by occupation and occupational groups. Wording of the question: Occupation at this place of work (position or work carried out). For coding occupation, 259 groups of the National classification were used. No links to ISCO were established.

(c) Status in employment

This variable was not studied.

(d) Level of education

For coding level of education, the following 7 groups were used: Higher, Not finished higher, Higher special, Higher general, Incomplete higher education, Primary, Without primary education. No links to ISCED were established.

8. Main differences compared with the previous census:

There were some differences in classifications of National economy branches and occupations.

Besides during the 1979 census for persons able to work (from 16 to 54 for women, and from 16 to 59 for men) and engaged in individual subsidiary farming in addition to the census schedule a census form was compiled to study conditions for working activity of persons unemployed at this age.

9. Publication of the census results:

The final results of the census regarding economic activity were issued from 1991 to 1993, in the following publications: The organization responsible for this publication is the State Committee of the Russian Federation on Statistics (Goskomstat of Russia), 39 Myasnitskaya St., 103450 Moscow. The web site address is: www.gks.ru

The results are also available in the form of unpublished tables and magnetic tapes.