The phrase "previous census" refers to a count or survey of the population that was conducted in the past. It means the most recent or latest record of information about the number of people living in a certain place. Full definition
As in previous census rounds, boys are nearly twice as likely as girls to be developmentally vulnerable in the domain of physical health and wellbeing. (teachermagazine.com.au)
When it released the results in 2013, Statistics Canada (StatsCan) included a disclaimer that researchers should be cautious when comparing the survey with previous census data. (sciencemag.org)
Previous census surveys have estimated SPD to affect 3 % of people or less. (health.com)