Children using an abacus in school.
Image credits: Spaarnestad Photo
Volkstelling is the Dutch word for census. The first national census was held in 1795 but some local censuses go back to the 16th century. Between 1830 and 1930, a national census was held every ten years. Since then, there have only been four censuses: 1947, 1956, 1960 and 1971.
Since the Dutch government keeps the information about its citizens up to date, there is no need to take a census anymore. The census was officially abolished in 1991.
For genealogical purposes, Dutch census records are used a lot less than in many other countries.
About Yvette Hoitink
