Argentina, National Census, 1869

What is in This Collection?

This collection includes records for 1869. The census enumerations were recorded in registers with legal size papers in landscape orientation. Each book (libreto) is separated by a title page, which includes the name of the province, the section, and the type of population covered. It is followed by the enumeration sheets containing surname and names of the inhabitants, age, gender, civil status, nationality, place of birth, occupation, literacy, and special conditions. At the end of each book is a global summary page of the register.

The First National Census of the Argentine Republic was executed in the whole country simultaneously in three days, September 15-17 of 1869, under the presidency of the nation’s then president Mr. Domingo F. Sarmiento. For the census, the country was divided into five areas: North, South, East, West, and the National Territories. Each area was divided into provinces, which were then divided into sections or districts (partidos); in some cases the barracks are also mentioned. The city of Buenos Aires was the only one divided into police sections (secciones de policía).

These census enumeration registers were well preserved. It was created for demographic and statistical purposes in relation to the growth of the nation. This census covers about 1,800,000 inhabitants, but these records contain inaccuracies and should only be used when civil or church records are not available. The officials that wrote the census were ordinary civilians. Some were careless in spelling and wrote down phonetic versions of what they heard, so it is important to search for different spellings of your ancestors' names. The people were not required to provide proof for the information given (such as birth date and place), therefore some information may have been given from memory and may be wrong.

The original records can still be found at the Archivo General de la Nación in Buenos Aires.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Reading These Records

These records are written in Spanish. For help reading them see:

• Spanish Genealogical Word List
• BYU Spanish Script Tutorial

FamilySearch Learning Center videos:

• Reading Spanish Handwriting

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:

• Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in this record:

• Name, age, gender, marital status and nationality
• Birthplace (Province if Argentine)
• Occupation
• Statistical summary of the special conditions, such as legitimacy, race, disabilities, students, and others

Collection Content

Sample Images

• 

  Introduction Page

• 

  1869 Census

Coverage Table

As of 20 December 2016 this collection included records from the following provinces: