4.5 Clergymen as information providers

Population information was collected with three forms consisting of several smaller tables. Two forms concerned population changes and one the number and structure of population. Collection of information involved many stages. Parish clergymen - register offices in towns - sent the filled in forms to deans who compiled the summaries of dioceses. The Government offices (later the Tabular Commission) in Stockholm prepared the summaries for the whole country.

At first, forms on population changes and population number were filled in annually, but clergymen found filling of forms on population number particularly arduous from the first. They had to report the population of their parish by age group, which they considered unduly laborious.

After 1751, forms on population number were filled every three years until 1775, then every five years until 1880, and after that every ten years until 1940.

Collection of population tables is known as ten-year inventories. They were precursors of the present population censuses.

Forms on population changes were filled each year from 1749 onwards.