Abstract
Demographic censuses are an important source of information on the living conditions of indigenous peoples in Brazil. Different factors have been pointed out to explain the variations in the volume of indigenous people captured by the censuses, as well as fluctuations in their spatial distribution. These studies focus on analyses of the demographic dynamics of these populations, as well as the influence of the processes of identity recognition and self-determination in indigenous numbers. However, studies into the impact of the census methodology on the results found for indigenous people are unknown. This paper analyzes the results of the latest national censuses in Brazil for indigenous people according to their region of residence, household situation and household composition, indicating that changes in the format of interviews observed in the last two demographic censuses had an impact on the household profile of the indigenous people and, consequently, in the number of those registered in the country. This impact would even have led to a reduction in those who lived in urban areas.
Key words
Indigenous peoples; Demographic census; Brazil; Questionnaires