Bolivia Census

Introduction

A census is a count and description of the population. Censuses have been taken by various levels of government in Bolivia and by some ecclesiastical officials. Census records were taken primarily for population studies, taxation, military purposes, or taxing in behalf of the parish poor. Censuses, known as censos or padrones, have been taken by colonial and national governments throughout Latin American. Most of the census records are housed in the national archives.

Records created during the Spanish administration of colonial Latin America, would be located in the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, Spain.

When available, census records can provide family relationships, age, year of birth, description of property, place of birth. Census records are especially valuable because they list a large portion of the population, and they are readily available at some repositories. They can provide information where all or portions of other records are missing. Use the information with caution, however, since the information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or a neighbor.

Searching Census Records
When searching census records, it is important to remember the following:


 * Accept the ages with caution.
 * Given names may not always be the same as the names recorded in vital records.
 * Information may be incorrect.
 * Names may be spelled as they sound.
 * Place names may be misspelled or spelled phonetically.
 * If the family is not at the suspected address, search the surrounding area.
 * Parts of the census may be indecipherable.

Bolivia Census Records in Census Records for Latin America and the Hispanic United States
The following table is a list of census records for the country of Bolivia, as listed in Lyman D Platt's book, Census Records for Latin America and the Hispanic United States.