Population Indexes in 1946 and 1947

The implementation of the population indexes was prompted mainly by the large post-war changes. It was impossible to wait until the results of the Population Census planned for 1950. This was not a true census to all intents and purposes. Both indexes took place at different times; on May 22, 1947 in the Czech Lands and on October 4, 1946 in Slovakia; they were in terms of contents and organizationally independent of each other and without necessary coordination. In Slovakia, only present civil population, whereas in the Czech lands all present population was included in the census.
Both indexes were oriented purposefully – its objective in Slovakia was to acquire data on the labour market as well as specifying the registration of the population to be supplied. In the Czech Lands, the main objective of the index was to acquire background for the preparation of national insurance. In both cases much emphasis was put on determining one’s main personal occupation, one’s position, and objective occupation (plant, establishment, sector). The formulation of questions and classification used during both indexes was not the same. In the Czech Lands (but not in Slovakia) was previously accomplished an independent survey oriented on housing - housing index as of January 31, 1946.

The results of both indexes of inhabitants removed a significant degree of post-war lack of data. Despite different objectives, limited level of surveyed data as well as inequable decisive moment of survey, the indexes have a significant informational value in many ways. Information was collected for the whole country, not only on population and its structure by age and marital status, as well as data on social and economic structure of population, data on the number of municipalities and their size structure. Really significant and unique are the data concerning the settlement of the Czech border area and, on the contrary, the displacement of inland districts as well as data about residency (including abroad) as of May 1, 1945. At the same time, experiences were gained for the preparation of the Population Census, which was planned for and carried out in 1950.