Census of India: About Housing data and data on amenities

Some of the data pertaining to the house listing operations held prior to the Census of India, 2001, have been released. During these operations in April-May 2000, housing data and data on amenities available to the households were collected using a House list schedule containing 34 questions.

Format:
The data collected thus has now been made available as tables in Excel format. The first column of each table contains the table name with which it can be related to other tables. For State level data, two digit State code has also been given.
See, for example,

Census houses and their usage patterns   (HTML 122 KB)

The following Excel (.xls) files can also be downloaded here for study of their structure.

H - 1 : CENSUS HOUSES AND THE USES TO WHICH THEY ARE PUT
(Same as above. 39 KB)

H - 2: DISTRIBUTION OF CENSUS HOUSES USED AS RESIDENCE AND RESIDENCE-CUM-OTHER USE BY THEIR CONDITION   (38 KB)

Story ideas:

The Housing tables give important data that can be used for development reporting. You get reliable information on the type of amenities that the people have or have not. It can also be used to cross check results of Government claims on various developmental activities. For example, Kerala Government has often claimed that majority of its people have piped water supply (79% in urban areas and 58% in rural areas). However, a look at the census table on distribution of house holds with drinking water source will show that the picture is just the opposite.

History of house listing

Up to 1951 Census, only bare data on occupied dwelling unit or residential houses were collected and published, whereas in 1961 elaborate data on residential houses and establishments were brought out. In 1971 Census, separate Housing Report and Tables were published while in the housing report of 1981 Census, the presentation of data was restricted to houses classified by their use. In 1991 Census, a question on the type of fuel used for cooking by the household was canvassed for the first time to assess the impact of fuel consumption patterns on environment and forest resources and reveal the extent to which alternative energy source were being used for domestic needs. Availability of toilet facilities in houses was also collected, both for rural and urban areas as against urban areas alone in 1981.

In the Census of 2001, a new column was added in the House list schedule on the condition of the census house, that is, whether the census house is good, livable or dilapidated. Besides this, information on number of married couples living in the: household and married couples having independent room for sleeping were also collected. In 2000 House list the drinking water sources outside the premises of 1991 Census has been further sub-divided into 'near the premises' and 'away' based on distance. As regards to source of lighting, six sources of lighting were considered in 2000 House-list as against determining only availability or non-availability of' electricity to the household in 1990. A new column on waste water outlet of census house was included in 2000- House list. The facility of bathroom within the census house has also been collected in 2000. Another question on facility of kitchen within the house was also added to the House list of 2001Census. Besides, six new columns were added regarding the availability of assets such as radio/transistor, television, telephone, bicycle, scooter/motorcycle/ moped and car/jeep/van to the household. The questionnaire also probed the use of banking services by the head of the household or a member.

 
 DEFINITIONS USED IN 2000 HOUSE LIST
 
1.  CENSUS HOUSE
     A 'census house' is a building or part of a building used or recognised as a separate unit because of having a separate main entrance from the road or common courtyard or staircase, etc. It may be occupied or vacant. It may be used for a residential or non-residential purpose or both. If a building has a number of flats or blocks which are independent of one another having separate entrances of their own from the road or a common staircase of a common courtyard leading to a main gate, these will be considered as separate census houses.

2.  HOUSEHOLD
     A 'household' is usually a group of persons who normally live together and take their meals from a common kitchen unless the exigencies of work prevent any of them from doing so. Persons in a household may be related or unrelated or a mix of both. However, if a group of unrelated persons live a census house but do not take their meals from the common kitchen, then they are not constituent of a common household. Each such person should be treated as a separate household. The important link in finding out whether it is a household or not is a common kitchen. There may be one member households, two member households or multi-member households.
 
    In a few situations, it may be difficult to apply the definition of household strictly as given above. For example, a persons living alone in a census house, whether cooking or not cooking meals, will have to be treated as a household. Similarly, if husband and wife or a group of related persons are living together in a census house but not cooking their meals will also constitute a normal household.

3.  INSTITUTIONAL HOUSEHOLD
    A group of unrelated persons who live in an institution and take their meals from a common kitchen is called an Institutional Household. Examples of Institutional Household are boarding houses, messes, hostels, hotels, rescue homes, jails, ashrams, orphanages, etc.
 
4.  PERMANENT HOUSE
    Houses with wall and roof made of permanent materials. Wall can be G. I., Metal, Asbestos sheets, Burnt bricks, Stone or Concrete. Roof can be made of Tiles, Slate, G. I., Metal, Asbestos sheets, Brick, Stone or Concrete.

5.  SEMI PERMANENT HOUSE
     Either wall or roof is made of permanent material (and the other having been made of temporary material).

6.  TEMPORARY HOUSE 
   Houses with wall and roof made of temporary material. Wall can be made of Grass, Thatch, Bamboo etc., Plastic, Polythene, Mud, Unburnt brick or wood. Roof can be made of Grass, Thatch, Bamboo, Wood, Mud, Plastic or Polythene.

7.  SERVICEABLE TEMPORARY
     Wall is made of Mud, Unbumt bricks or Wood.
 
 8.  NON-SERVICEABLE TEMPORARY
      Wall is made of Grass, Thatch, Bamboo etc., Plastic or Polythene.
 
Back HOME