Developing a census data system in China

China has conducted four population censuses since 1949. A large amount of important information about population, education, employment, migration an d urbanization was collected in the most recent 1990 census. This paper wil l examine main features and key issues of the Chinese population census and the census data. Some fundamental considerations in building a computerize d census data system and concerning the ways in which a system might be dev eloped will be discussed. The main objectives and features of the on-going Population GIS of China project will also be examined.