REDUCING COSTS OF CENSUSES IN NORWAY THROUGH USE OF ADMINISTRATIVE REGISTERS

The purpose and methodology of the Norwegian census has changed consid erably during the last 35 years. While the census was previously the m ain source of socio-demographic information, it is to day just one of several sources. After an identification number for each individual wa s introduced and used in various administrative registers, the dominat ing role of the census has changed dramatically, For some years it has been the policy of Statistics Norway to collaborate with various gove rnmental agencies in order to use administrative registers in statisti cs production. This policy has been supported politically, and a new S tatistics Act has been useful in these efforts. The purpose of this pa per is to present the strategy and methodology used to produce statist ics in general, census statistics in particular, when based on a combi ned use of administrative registers and directly collected data. Exper iences from Norwegian censuses since 1960 will be presented.