The 1703 census: Our heritage

The Census of 1703 is the oldest census ever conducted in Iceland and is also the oldest preserved complete census in the world that records the household, age, and social status of its inhabitants. The census is preserved at the National Archives of Iceland and is one of the institution’s greatest treasures. In 2013, the census was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. To mark this milestone, as well as the 135th anniversary of the National Archives of Iceland in 2017, this book was published. The publication explores the origins and implementation of this remarkable survey of Icelandic society. It examines the history of the census, with particular emphasis on its statistical significance and archival history, and explains how it came to be recognized by UNESCO as a documentary heritage source of outstanding importance to humanity. ISBN Author Eiríkur G. Guðmundsson Publisher Þjóðskjalasafn Íslands, 2026 Format Sofcover Pages 36