First census

A census, an official count or survey of national population, is a useful tool for determining policy on food supply, educational and medical needs as well as trends in population changes. The first census predates the Chinese, Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations, and dates back nearly 6,000 years to the Babylonians in 4,000 BC, who used it to find out how much food was needed for each member of the population. There is a clay tile in the British Museum, London, UK, on which is transcribed such a record. Nowadays, census data is used for essentially the same purposes: to provide population numbers; to catalogue types of accommodation; to assist planning for funding of social services; and to furnish information on how people live. To identify trends, a census needs to be done on a regular basis – usually every 5 to 10 years.