The Population Count is produced in the middle of decade, with the main purpose of updating population figures and providing material for the calculation of population estimates of municipalities in the following years. The collection unit is the resident, on the reference date, of a housing unit in the National Territory.
The count started in 1996, all over the country, as since 1989 the IBGE has had the legal obligation to provide, annually, municipal estimates of the resident population in accordance with the constitutional provision regulated by Complementary Law no. 59, of December 22, 1988. Furthermore, in accordance with the Article 102 of Law no. 8,443, of July 16, 1992, the IBGE started to publish on the Official Gazette, until August 31 of each year, the annual population estimates for states and municipalities, and to send it, until October 31, to the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), being that list of estimates used as one of the criteria to distribute the Municipality Participation Fund (FPM). The Population Count, scheduled for 2005 due to budget reasons, only occurred in 2007, in a cooperative census operation that also included the 2006 Census of Agriculture and the National Address List for Statistical Purposes - CNEFE, the goals of which were to update the population estimates and information about economic activities performed by individuals and agricultural companies in the country. Also due to budget reasons, it was not possible to carry out the 2007 Population Count survey in all the 5,564 municipalities. After research, the IBGE concluded that the available resources would allow a survey in municipalities with up to 170 thousand inhabitants, a population range which has a direct impact on shares of the Municipality Participation Fund (FPM). Due to the fact that only one or two municipalities, in some Federation Units, would be excluded from this range for exceeding 170 thousand residents, it was decided to include them in the survey. Therefore, the 2007 Population Count covered 5,435 municipalities - 5, 414 with up to 170 thousand residents and the other 21 included as already mentioned, accounting for 97% of the total of municipalities in the country. For the other 129 municipalities the 2007 population was estimated.
The Population Count produces information about population figures, by gender, age and degree of kinship with the head of the household, as well as about the type of households surveyed.
The survey is conducted on a decennial basis, except when postponed. It covers the national territory, with results released for Brazil, Major Regions, Federation Units and Municipalities.