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### Governments FAQs

### Also in this Section:

                          - When was the first census of governments?
                          - When is the census of governments conducted?

## When was the first census of governments?

The Census Act of 1839 [1.47MB PDF] provided for the collection of statistics pertaining to "the pursuits, industry, education, and resources of the country." As a result, the 1840 census was the first in which governments were asked about the numbers and kinds of schools and pupils.

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