Differential Coverage Error for Young Children in the Canadian Census

• Activity Number: 7
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 4, 2013 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Social Statistics Section
• Author(s): David Dolson*+
• Companies: Statistics Canada

Abstract

In Canada, as in the United States and other countries, young children have been missed in the Census at an elevated rate as compared to their older siblings for many censuses. While strategies to maintain and improve coverage in general have indeed had some success in an increasingly difficult enumeration environment, they have had little impact on reducing this particular aspect of the problem. One wonders why. This paper will review approaches taken in Canada in addressing this issue. Further, the genesis or cause of this undercoverage phenomenon is not well understood. Some hypotheses will be reviewed and results presented from a small study on the basis of the results the 2011 Canadian Census coverage studies that may suggest some new strategies to reduce this differential coverage error.