1957 - United Nations Statistics Division

world. Unless otherwise specified, all of these figures are
assumed to be "total area", that is, they comprise the land
area and inland waters, excluding only polar regions and
some uninhabited islands. "Inland waters" are assumed
to comprise major rivers and lakes.
SOURCES OF VARIATION
Although the concept of "inland water" generally
means major rivers and lakes, it is known to vary slightly
from country to country. Some countries include even
coastal bays, inlets, and gulfs; such practice would introduce
a definite possibility of non-comparability.
Another problem concerns the accuracy of the area
value given. Some area figures are based on recent surveys,
carried out by approved scientific means; others are
simply conjectures based on random items of information.
Some values are of current origin, reflecting all
significant boundary changes up to the present time;
Population census and estimates are shown in Tables
1-5 of this 9th issue of the Demographic Yearbook. These
five tables which show the geographic distribution of
total population in terms of countries, regions, and the
world, the age-sex distribution within countries, and
population in cities may perhaps be considered as fundamental
tables. They make available the types of data most
often required and they also exemplify the types of variation
which are common to population statistics as a
whole. These include the variation in composition of
"total" population, the degree of underenumeration and
omissions at the census, the evaluation of the reliability
of population estimates, and the problems of achieving
accuracy in reporting-especially of age.
SOURCES OF VARIATION
Definition of IItotal ll population
Variation in the coverage of the population totals for
different countries is one of the most important factors to
be considered in evaluating comparability.
The total population of a country is conventionally
described as de facto or de jure. A true de facto or presentin-area
concept usually implies that all persons present in
the country, nationals or aliens, would be counted in the
local area where they were physically present at the time
of the census. The de jure count, in contrast, includes all
persons who usually reside in the area, irrespective of
where they might happen to be at the time of the census.
Simple as these concepts appear, it is a fact that strict
adherence to either of them is rarely found. Moreover,
these terms, used to describe with precision the method
of obtaining sull-national totals, are often misleading
when applied to the national figure. Finally, the terms
may correctly describe the method of enumeration, i.e.,
in "place of residence" versus "place of occurrence", but
be incorrect when used to describe the tabulation.
The wide variation which exists in the actual composition
of national census totals labelled de facto and de jure
has been set forth in the 1956 Demographic Yearbook
(p. 19-20) , where it is shown that as many as 14 categories
POPULATION
others are not so timely and may thereby fail to take
cognizance of recent boundary rectifications. Since neither
the exact method of determining the area nor the precise
definition of its composition and time reference is known
for all areas, the values should not be considered strictly
comparable from country to country.
Apparent inconsistency with previously published figures
may be due to the introduction of revised estimates,
to actual changes in land surface, or to variation in the
original unit of measure used. The revised area of the
USSR, for example, includes the Sea of Azov (40,000
km 2 ) , the White Sea (90,000 km 2 ) , and closed bays as
well as additional land reclaimed from the Caspian Sea.
In this Yearbook, area is given in square kilometres,
the conversion from square miles (if required) having
been accomplished by equating 1 square mile to 2.589998
square kilometres. Use of a different factor would give
slightly different results. Rounding also may affect the
last digit of the value.
15
of population need to be considered in defining a population
precisely. It seems evident that the terms de facto and
de jure, though traditionally accepted, fail to convey a
clear understanding of the basic population composition.
Because the terms are loosely used, they have almost lost
international comparability. Nevertheless, they are the
terms encountered in connexion with national statistics
and, as such, must be considered in using population data
from different countries.
In an effort to increase comparability of data, the
Population Commission,2 in planning for the censuses to
be taken around 1950, recommended a tabulation of
total population as follows:
. .. that data for the total population in the country as a
whole at the time of the census (with the exceptions of
military and diplomatic personnel) be obtained in addition
to any data on a de jure or other basis which may
be desired for national purposes ... that foreign military
and diplomatic personnel located in the country should
be excluded from the total population, and that military
and diplomatic personnel of the given country located
abroad should be included.
Modified de facto
In accord with this recommendation, the population
figures shown in this Yearbook-both censuses and estimates-are,
in so far as possible, modified present-in-area
counts. This means that they include data for jungle
tribes, aborigines, nomadic peoples, displaced persons,
and refugees, as well as national armed forces and diplomatic
personnel stationed outside the territory, and that
they exclude alien armed forces, alien diplomatic personnel,
and enemy prisoners of war stationed inside the
country.
Although it is evident that strict comparability is not
achieved by this adjustment, still it must be emphasized
that, despite national peculiarities, the modified de facto
population described above and the true de jure figure
2 Report of the Population Commission (Fourth Session), document
Ef1313, p. 16-17.