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Censo vs. recenseamento

Word practice demo
While censo and recenseamento are often used as synonyms to translate "census", their usage depends heavily on regional preference (Brazil vs. Portugal) and the specific type of registration involved. Generally, censo focuses on the statistical result or the demographic event, whereas recenseamento implies the official act or process of registering.

Censo

B2
This word is the standard term in Brazil for the official population count. It usually refers to the result or the specific demographic event occurring at specific intervals. It is specific to statistics.
O censo demográfico ocorre a cada dez anos.
(The demographic census takes place every ten years.)
Os dados do último censo mostram que a população aumentou.
(Data from the last census show that the population has increased.)
O IBGE divulgou hoje os resultados do censo.
(The IBGE released the census results today.)
Precisamos fazer um censo da população de rua.
(We need to conduct a census of the homeless population.)

Recenseamento

C1
This word refers to the act, process, or operation of registering and listing items or people. It is the preferred term in Portugal (European Portuguese) for the population count. Additionally, it is used in administrative contexts like military or electoral registration.
Em Portugal, o recenseamento geral da população é obrigatório.
(In Portugal, the general population census is mandatory.)
Ele precisou atualizar o seu recenseamento eleitoral para votar.
(He needed to update his electoral registration to vote.)
O recenseamento militar é um dever cívico.
(Military registration is a civic duty.)
O recenseamento agrícola ajuda a definir políticas rurais.
(The agricultural census helps define rural policies.)

Summary

In short, use censo when discussing the statistical data or the demographic event, especially in Brazilian Portuguese. Use recenseamento when referring to the administrative process of listing or registering (such as for voting or military service), or when referring to the population count in European Portuguese.