Mexico National Census, 1930 - FamilySearch Historical Records

 Mexico

What is in This Collection?
Population schedules consist of large sheets with rows and columns. The sheets are arranged in bundles by municipality and then by place, such as city, village, or ranch. The original schedules are at the National Archives (Archivo General de la Nación) in Mexico City. The records have been preserved on microfilm by the Genealogical Society of Utah

While earlier attempts were made to enumerate the Mexican population, the 1895 census was considered the first federal or national census. Beginning in 1900, censuses were conducted every 10 years. The 1930 census was conducted on May 15 and was the first census in which returns were processed centrally. Because of this, most of sheets still exist. This census is widely recognized as one of Mexico’s best planned and executed censuses, and it is also the only one accessible to the public. Due to under counting and some record loss, primarily for the Federal District, the 1930 census covers about 78 percent of the population, not 90% as previously reported. (This figure is based on 12.8 million persons in the Ancestry.com database extracted from this census compared with a total population in 1930 for all of Mexico in 1930 of 16,552,722 (see Mexico Population 1930). Since the population of Mexico City was 1,029,000 in 1930, there were record losses in areas beyond the Federal District as well, accounting for another 2 million plus persons not covered in the database placed online by Ancestry.com in September 2011.

The Mexico 1930 Census is usually reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care taken by the census enumerator. Realize that information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or even by a neighbor.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Census
 * City or village and state where census was taken
 * Head of household (jefe de la familia)
 * Full name of each household member (nombre y apellido)
 * Gender (sexo)
 * Male (hombre)
 * Female (mujer)
 * Age (edad)
 * Years (años)
 * Months (meses)
 * Days (dias)
 * Marital status (estado civil)
 * Single (soltero)
 * Married civilly (casado por lo Civil)
 * Married by the church (casado por la Iglesia)
 * Common law union (union libre)
 * Widow (viudo)
 * Divorced (divorciado)
 * Occupation (profesion u ocupacion)
 * Birthplace of each person, if born in Mexico, the name of the state (lugar de nacimiento)
 * Nationality (nacionalidad)
 * Native language (idioma)
 * Religion (religion)

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have.
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches.

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select State
 * 2) Select Municipality
 * 3) Select City to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * The Mexico 1930 Census is the best source to quickly identify a family group and residence. With the information found, take your ancestor’s age, place of residence, and birth state (if available) to search for him/her in other records. The census identifies other people living in the household and may identify people for whom other records simply do not exist. You need to know the name of your ancestor for those places that are indexed. If the ancestor has a common name, you must know the place of residence to determine which index entry is the correct one. If you do not find your ancestor in the index, use the place of residence and search that place page by page. An important clue found in the Mexico 1930 Census is found in the answer to the question of whether the person was married civilly or by the church. The answer to this question will lead either to find a marriage record in the Civil Registration or the Marriage records of the Catholic Church
 * Use the marriage information to help you find your ancestor in the Catholic Church and Civil Records for the state they reside in
 * Accept the ages with caution
 * Given names may not always be the same as the names recorded in vital records
 * Names of people as well as places may be spelled as they sound
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual

I Can’t Find The Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If the family is not at the suspected address, search the surrounding area
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Mexico.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.