Until 2006, two main sources were used to estimate the series: population censuses in 1982, 1990 and 1999, and Housing surveys (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2001, 2006). The census provided information on the volume of the total park and its distribution according to housing category, type of housing and geographical area. Housing surveys provided breakdowns by detailed sectors. Between two censuses, annual inflows and outflows were estimated: new construction from the Sit@del base (which gathers information on building permits issued and housing starts), destruction, mergers, explosions, change of allocation. These flows made it possible to estimate a stock in the following period. At each new census, a match was made.

Since 2006, the census is available annually. In year n, results are available as of January 1 n-3. The annual stock, its distribution by housing category, type of housing and urban unit size, and the proportion of tenants and homeowners are therefore known from the census up to n-3. The Housing surveys also provide a breakdown by detailed sectors (mortgagers and outright owners, type of landlord for tenants).

These data are then estimated for the three years following the census results (years n-2, n-1 and n). They will be reviewed annually until a final census is established.

In metropolitan France, this estimate is based on complementary sources, ahead of the census: housing tax files, the census management directory (The address control list (ACL), Filocom (tax data available one year on two) and Sit@del2.

In the Overseas Departments, the estimation is mainly carried out using the census and the Housing surveys of 2006 and 2013.