Tunisia Census

Africa Tunisia

Early Lists
There are lists of Arabs, Berbers, and Turks dating from the period prior to and during the Ottoman occupation. These records reportedly contain a variety of information including material on marriages, deaths, lists of poor families, Europeans living in Tunisia before the time of the French protectorate, etc.

Population Registers (Nüfs)
Research use: These registers establish family groups and individual identity.

Record type: The Ottoman population registers were compiled in an initial census survey; thereafter vital information was added as births, marriages, and deaths occurred. Supplemental registration of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths were sometimes added to the register itself or sometimes compiled in separate registers.

Time period: 1876 - 1915.

Contents: The population registers list the names of household members including children, sex, birth date, residence, age, religion, craft or occupation, marital status, marriage date, health, military status. If deceased, the register provides the death date or crosses out the name of the deceased.

Location: National Archives in Tunis. Records may be partially or completely in a Turkish archive, possibly the National Archives [Babakanlik Arivi] (also referred to as the Prime Ministry Archives) or the Sulaymaniye Library in Istanbul.

Population coverage: Estimated at 80%. Remote areas may not be fully counted.

Reliability: Good, though the information may be incomplete due to inefficient bureaucracy and because of evasion to avoid conscription.

Census Records
Research use: Excellent for family and relationship linkage. They identify names of parents, prove other relationships, and are very useful for linking generations.

Record type: Population surveys and enumerations.

Time period: 1921 - present.

Contents: Individual names, relationships, number of households for each city, town or village, unmarried mature males, widows who were heads of households, French colonial land and property owners, Tunisian land and property owners.

Location: National archives in Tunis; some are also in the Archives Nationales, Section Outre-Mer, in Paris.

Population coverage: Estimated at 60%.

Reliability: Generally good, some gaps.