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Now Available: 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) Results for Housing Units and Puerto Rico
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Post-Enumeration Surveys

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Post-Enumeration Surveys

The purpose of the Post-Enumeration Survey is to measure the accuracy of the census.  The survey measures the accuracy of the census by independently surveying a sample of the population.

The U.S. Census Bureau has used post-enumeration surveys with dual system estimation to measure coverage in the Decennial Censuses of Population and Housing since 1980. This approach involves case-by-case matching of persons in an independent survey with persons in the census to determine who was missed or counted in error.

 

2020
  • 2020
  • 2010
  • 2000
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  • 1980
2020

The post-enumeration survey-based coverage measurement program associated with the 2020 Census is called the Post-Enumeration Survey (PES).

On this page:

Related Information

Overview

The 2020 PES was designed to support national-level and state-level estimates of census coverage.

The primary goal of the 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) program was to measure coverage error in the 2020 Census such that this information could be used to improve the coverage of future censuses. Fieldwork for the 2020 PES began in January 2020 and ended in February 2022.

Product Releases

PES Results for Puerto Rico and Housing Units (Released August 16, 2022)

Data Tables

web 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Tables

Reports

pdf Census Coverage Estimates for Puerto Rico [<1.0 MB]
pdf Census Coverage Estimates for Housing Units in the United States [<1.0 MB]
pdf Source and Accuracy of the 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Housing Unit Estimates [<1.0 MB]
pdf 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Estimation Methods: Net Coverage Estimation [<1.0 MB]
pdf 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Estimation Methods: Components of Census Coverage [<1.0 MB]
pdf 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Estimation Methods: Puerto Rico Estimation [<1.0 MB]
pdf 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Estimation Methods: Missing Data for Housing Unit Estimates [<1.0 MB]

News

web Census Bureau Releases Results of Post-Enumeration Survey for Puerto Rico From 2020 Census
web Census Bureau Releases Results of Post-Enumeration Survey for 2020 Census Housing Unit Counts

PES Results for 50 States and Washington DC (Released May 19, 2022)

Data Tables

web 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Tables
web Data Visualization: 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey

Reports

pdf Census Coverage Estimates for People in the United States by State and Census Operations [<1.0 MB]
June 13, 2022: This report was republished to add clarity to a data label. For information about what was revised, see the note on page 2 of the report.
pdf 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Estimation Methods: Characteristic Editing and Imputation [<1.0 MB]
pdf 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Estimation Methods: Missing Data for Person Estimates [<1.0 MB]

News

web U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2020 Undercount and Overcount Rates by State and the District of Columbia
web Understanding the Count: A Discussion on the Latest 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Results
web Census Bureau Today Releases 2020 Census Undercount, Overcount Rates by State (America Counts)

PES Results for Nation and Demographic Groups (Released March 10, 2022)

Data Tables

web 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Tables

Reports

pdf National Census Coverage Estimates for People in the United States by Demographic Characteristics [<1.0 MB]
pdf Source and Accuracy of the 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Person Estimates [<1.0 MB]
pdf 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey: Net Coverage Error and Components of Census Coverage for Race Groups and Hispanic Origin by Age, Sex, and Tenure in the United States [1.0 MB]

News

web Census Bureau Releases Estimates of Undercount and Overcount in the 2020 Census
web Census Bureau Hosts News Conference to Release 2020 Census Data Quality Results
web Who Was Undercounted, Overcounted in the 2020 Census? (America Counts)
web Despite Efforts, Census Undercount of Young Children Persists (America Counts)

Additional Documents

These documents provide an overview of and updates on the 2020 PES as well as information on our research and decisions made this decade regarding the design of the 2020 PES.

pdf The Estimation Design for the Post-Enumeration Survey of the 2020 Census [1.1 MB]
web The Design of the Post-Enumeration Survey for the 2020 Census
web 2020 Census Decision to Change the Name of the Coverage Measurement Survey to the Post-Enumeration Survey
web 2020 Census Detailed Operational Plan for the Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) Operations
web Census Bureau’s Final Post-Enumeration Survey Field Operation Set to Begin

Presentations

pdf Presentation: Understanding the Count: A Discussion on the Latest 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Results [<1.0 MB]
Provides an overview of coverage estimates for people of the United States by state and census operations, presented: May 19, 2022.
pdf Presentation: Post-Enumeration Survey Overview [<1.0 MB]
Provides an overview of the survey, presented during the National Advisory Committee Spring Meeting: May 6-7, 2021.
pdf Presentation: 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Update [<1.0 MB]
Describes changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic, early response rates and how we’re addressing correlation bias, presented during the Census Scientific Advis
pdf Presentation: 2020 Census: Post-Enumeration Survey [<1.0 MB]
Presented during the JASON Winter Study: 2020 Census Quality Process Assessment: January 7, 2021.
pdf Presentation: 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey Update [<1.0 MB]
Presented during the Federal-State Cooperative for Population Estimates Meeting: September 23, 2020.
pdf Presentation: Post-Enumeration Methodology [<1.0 MB]
Provides an overview of PES methodology, presented during the Census Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting: September 17–18, 2020.

Related Links

Related Information

Press Kit
Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) Press Kit
September 2022
The purpose of the Post-Enumeration Survey is to measure the accuracy of the census by independently surveying a sample of the population.
Random Samplings Blog
Upcoming 2020 Census Coverage Estimates 
March 03, 2022
The U.S. Census Bureau released coverage estimates for the 2020 Census.
Random Samplings Blog
The Post-Enumeration Survey: Measuring Coverage Error
December 16, 2021
Although we undertake extensive efforts to accurately count everyone in the decennial census, sometimes people are missed or duplicated.
Page Last Revised - August 17, 2022
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