Han Census of 2 CE
- Date
- 2 CE
- Category
- Social & demographic
- Region
- East Asia
- Era
- Classical Antiquity
- Significance
In the year 2 CE, the Western Han dynasty conducted a household and population census during the reign of Emperor Ping, when the court was dominated by the regent Wang Mang.
The survey registered 57,671,400 individuals in 12,366,470 households, making it the earliest preserved national census for which detailed numerical records survive. Compiled primarily for taxation and to gauge the number of able-bodied men available for military service and corvee labour, the count is regarded by demographers as remarkably accurate for the ancient world. The figures, recorded in the Book of Han, document one of the largest organised populations on Earth at the time and provide a foundational benchmark for the study of Chinese and global historical demography. The census reflects the sophistication of Han bureaucratic administration, which maintained detailed local registers across the empire's commanderies and kingdoms.
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Empires active in 2 CE
- Han Dynasty202 BCE – 220 CE
- Roman Empire27 BCE – 476 CE
- Parthian Empire247 BCE – 224 CE
- Xiongnu Confederation209 BCE – 93 CE
- Kan Kingdom (El Mirador)300 BCE – 150 CE
- Indo-Greek Kingdom180 BCE – 10 CE
Related social & demographic events
- Antonine Plague165-180 CE
- Edict of Caracalla (Constitutio Antoniniana) grants universal citizenship212 CE
- Plague of Cyprianc. 249-262 CE
- Plague of Athens430–426 BCE
- The Plague of Justinian, the first recorded bubonic pandemic541–549 CE
- Collapse and Burning of Teotihuacanc. 550 CE
Further reading
The wider story
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