Annual Census Surveys 

ACS

Since 2004, the population census has been renovated and is based on a data collection spread over 5 years by means of an annual census survey (ACS). This census is therefore not designed to produce results for a single collection year.

The EAR concerns all the departments of metropolitan and overseas France as well as the overseas communities of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy (article 156 of the "Démocratie de proximité" law 2002-276 of 27 February 2002).

The other COMs carry out, by way of derogation (Article 157), general population censuses every five years.

For municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, the census is exhaustive and is conducted every five years: the municipalities are divided into five groups, one group being surveyed each year.

For the municipalities of 10 000 inhabitants and more, the collection is organised every year on a sample of dwellings drawn from the Répertoire d'Immeubles Localisés (RIL) which is continuously updated. Each year 8% of the dwellings of the municipality are surveyed, and the result of the census is calculated from the collections of 5 consecutive years, i.e. 40% of the dwellings.

Each year, the method of collection of the municipalities (five-yearly exhaustive census or annual survey) is re-evaluated according to the crossing (upwards or downwards) of the threshold of 10 000 inhabitants.

The 5-year census data are documented separately.

Survey

Annual

Population census