Federal Population Census (1850-2000)

Every 10 years, from 1850 to 2000, a census was realized with the help of a questionnaire to which the whole population of Switzerland had to answer. Its results showed the demographic, spatial, social and economic developments of the country. They were used for policy planning and decision-making in many areas: employment, education, family and social policies, environmental protection, transport and settlement policies, business development. The census was also a vital tool used in sampling surveys (weighting and extrapolation).